https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-g ... ll-2018-12Trump is abruptly threatening to veto the spending bill and force a government shutdown over the border wall
President Donald Trump signaled he may veto a short-term funding bill over the legislation's lack of funding for a wall along the US-Mexico border, possibly pushing the federal government into a shutdown.
In a tweet Thursday, Trump seemed to express dissatisfaction with the Congress' current course of action: a clean, short-term funding bill, known as a continuing resolution, or CR. It would keep the government open until February 8. It includes no funding for the border wall.
"When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership," Trump said. "Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries - but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!"
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders subsequently said Trump would meet with House Republican members later Thursday.
"At this moment, the President does not want to go further without border security, which includes steel slats or a wall. The President is continuing to weigh his options," she said.
The CR is the result of a month of contentious negotiations over the shutdown deadline, with Trump demanding $5 billion in wall funding while Democrats would only offer $1.6 billion in general border security funds. The stopgap bill passed the Senate on Wednesday and a vote in the House is expected on Thursday, but sudden rumblings of a Trump veto could delay those plans.
The president has a long history of grumbling about funding fights, including calls for a "good" government shutdown.
If Trump does veto the bill, it would almost ensure the federal government would enter a partial shutdown at the end of Friday. According to congressional research, 800,000 federal employees would either be forced to work without pay or be furloughed in the event of a shutdown.
Given the risks and the potential political disaster of forcing a shutdown just days before Christmas, Trump appeared to support the CR on Wednesday. But Trump has received mounting pressure from conservatives and other allies.
The current funding fight is more consequential for Trump than previous confrontations since the incoming Democratic House majority likely means there will be almost zero chance for border-wall funding over the next two years. Trump threatened on Thursday to stymie all Democratic legislation if they do not provide funding for the wall.
This is almost an exact replay of what happened earlier when Trump had struck a deal to exchange a 10 year extension on DACA for border wall funding.
"The Democrats, who know Steel Slats (Wall) are necessary for Border Security, are putting politics over Country," he tweeted. "What they are just beginning to realize is that I will not sign any of their legislation, including infrastructure, ["If they don't give me my wall, I'll let all the bridges fall down! That'll show 'em!" ]unless it has perfect Border Security. U.S.A. WINS!"
A slew of hardline conservatives have called for the president to veto the CR. Members of the House Freedom Caucus, a group of ultra-conservative members, used a series of speeches on Wednesday to plead with Trump to veto the bill.
"If you veto this bill, we'll be there, more importantly, the American people will be there," said Rep. Mark Meadows, the Freedom Caucus Chair. "They'll be there to support you. Let's build the wall and make sure we do our job in Congress."
In addition, many pro-Trump media members, such as Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter, called on the president to veto the bill. [This is the the heart of it; Trump goes into panic mode when he sees the folks who have been making their living pandering to the xenophobes, racists and know-nothings in his base longer than he has, slamming him.
It's almost an exact replay of a few months ago when Trump had a deal to get an additional 25 billion for border security in exchange for agreeing to a 10 year DACA extension, and then he blew it up when he saw Coulter, Limbaugh and Co., turning on him...Trump knows he's going to need the hardcore nativists in his corner for the coming Impeachment battle, so he wont do anything that risks alienating them... ]
While a government shutdown over the wall may please the drooling knuckle draggers and those who earn a tidy income validating their fears and resentments, the overall political optics of forcing a government shutdown right before Christmas are absolutely awful for Trump...
"Putin Gets Syria For Christmas; The American People Get A Shut Down"
"Trump Shuts Down The Government As He Takes Off For A 16 Day Taxpayer Funded Holiday"
Nice headlines...