Government Shutdown Looms | God's World News

Government Shutdown Looms

12/19/2018
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    (The Capitol is seen at twilight in Washington, Monday, December 17, 2018. Budget disagreements threaten a partial government shutdown in Washington. AP Photo)

Despite holiday happenings in Washington, D.C., the situation is far from silent, calm, and bright. The current crisis is over President Donald Trump’s demand for $5 billion to build a border wall: The President isn’t backing down, and neither are folks opposed to the wall. The standoff means the federal government is inching closer to a partial “shutdown”—closure of certain “non-vital” offices because of lack of budget approval—later this week.

White House senior adviser Stephen Miller says the Trump administration will “do whatever is necessary to build the border wall to stop this ongoing crisis of illegal immigration.” Asked whether that means a government shutdown, he says: “If it comes to it, absolutely.”

Trump declares he’d be “proud” to have a shutdown to help fulfill his campaign promise to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But Trump may not have the votes to support the wall’s funding. Democratic congressional leaders have proposed no more than $1.6 billion. And the money wouldn’t go for the wall but for fence upgrades and border security.

Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer says it’s now up to Trump to decide whether parts of the government close at midnight on Friday, sending thousands of federal workers home without pay over the holidays. About one-quarter of the government would be affected, including Homeland Security, Agriculture, Justice, and national parks.

Republicans have suggested proposals to end the gridlock. But according to Schumer, Democrats are unlikely to consider their plans.

Republicans “should join us in one of these two [Democratic] proposals, which would get more than enough votes passed and avoid a shutdown,” Schumer says. “Then, if the president wants to debate the wall next year, he can. I don’t think he’ll get it.”

Everyone agrees the next move belongs to the President.

(The Capitol is seen at twilight in Washington, Monday, December 17, 2018. Budget disagreements threaten a partial government shutdown in Washington. AP Photo)