WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday afternoon that the partial United States government shutdown would continue until the dispute over border security is solved, after meeting with Congressional leadership at the White House.
The president have refused to sign any spending bill that could end the government shutdown that has left some 800,000 federal employees furloughed or with no compensation, but met with elected officials including top Democrats to find a solution.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck spoke to the press assembled in the White House driveway, saying that they made it clear there will be no movement on border security until the government was re-opened.
Speaker Pelosi described a “lengthy and sometimes contentious conversation” with Trump, and Sen. Schumer said that the president would keep the government “closed for a very long period of time, months or even years”.
In summary, Pelosi admitted that progress was made in the two sides further understanding each other and eliminating options that would not work for either the Democratic Party or the president and his Republicans.
President Trump came out to the podium in the Rose Garden just minutes later, describing a meeting that was “productive” and “came a long way”–saying that they “were all on the same path in terms of wanting the government open”.
The President added that a designated group will meet over the weekend “to determine what we’re going to do about the border”, a group that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell confirmed as an attempt between staffers of leaders to find an agreement.
“I would say the news is that the President agreed to designate his top people to sit down with all the leaders’ staffs this weekend to see if we can come up an agreement to recommend back to us, the various leaders,” McConnell told reporters.
Trump said later in the lengthly news conference that he has considered declaring a national emergency to circumvent congressional approval to find funds for a border wall, saying that “I haven’t done it, I may do it”.
(c)Breaking911 – More details to follow – Eli Ridder
