Incoming House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer unveiled the outline of a bill to end the partial government shutdown as Democrats take control of the House this week. But the bill includes only $1.3 billion for border security, and since President Trump wants $5 billion for a border wall, the White House said Monday he will reject it.
With no deal, one quarter of the federal government will remain closed and 800,000 employees will either stay home or work without pay.
"I will be the one to shut it down. I'm not gonna blame you for it," President Trump said to Schumer earlier this month.
But now he is blaming Democrats, tweeting, "Democrats, come back from vacation now and give us the votes necessary for border security, including the wall." But a big sticking point is the word wall.
As a central promise of his campaign, Mr. Trump said the shutdown will continue until Congress gives him the money to build it. Outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly contradicted the president, telling the Los Angeles Times, "to be honest, it's not a wall." The idea of a "solid concrete wall," he said was left behind early in the administration.
- Graham floats wall trade-offs to end government shutdown
- Republican suggests Trump help pay for the wall, citing national debt
While the gridlock continues, federal contractor Raekwon Snyder is wondering how he'll make ends meet.
"I actually started donating blood. Whatever I have to do to put food on the table and keep a roof over our heads that's what i'm going to do," he said.
