Posted on 12/20/2018 9:37:56 AM PST by yesthatjallen
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) warned President Trump and House conservatives that the only option to prevent a partial shutdown is a seven-week stopgap bill, adding that they shouldn't reject it because of a "temper tantrum" on the border wall.
"With less than two days to go until the appropriations lapse, if we are to avoid a shutdown the House must pass this continuing resolution and President Trump must sign it," Schumer said from the Senate floor on Thursday.
Schumer argued that if Trump rejects the stopgap measure, it would be "indisputable" that he and Republicans would be blamed for a partial government shutdown over the Christmas holidays.
"Vetoing the last train out of the station, a CR, would be a doubling down on his responsibility for a Christmas shutdown and every single American would know it," Schumer said.
House GOP leaders are scrambling to prevent a partial shutdown scheduled to begin on Saturday amid outrage from rank-and-file members that the continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government running through Feb. 8 does not include disaster relief or $5 billion in funding for Trump’s proposed border wall.
Senate Republican leadership appeared confident on Wednesday that Trump would ultimately sign a clean stopgap spending bill and the chamber passed it by a voice vote late Wednesday night.
But conservative pundits and lawmakers have lashed out over the deal and questioned why Trump would sign something that didn't include additional border wall money.
Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and other members of the House Freedom Caucus are publicly urging Trump to reject the Senate-passed stopgap bill, which would fund roughly 25 percent of the government through Feb. 8. Trump is scheduled to meet with House Republicans later Thursday.
Schumer lashed out at Meadows and Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) by name during his floor speech, saying they had no plan that would actually result in Trump getting the border wall money he is asking for.
"Trump's allies in the House can pound their fists on the table all they want but it's not going to get a wall. They can, having caught the Trump temper tantrum fever, jump up and down, yell and scream. It's not going to get a wall," Schumer said.
"Neither Mr. Meadows or Mr. Jordan have outlined any conceivable plan on how to achieve what they say they want to achieve. I would say to my less frenzied friends in the House, go ask Mr. Jordan and ask Mr. Meadows, what is your plan? What is your end game? What is your path to getting the wall?" Schumer said.
Congressional leadership agreed to punt the funding fight into February after both Democrats and Trump remained far apart for funding over the border wall. House Republicans and Trump initially demanded $5 billion — though the White House signaled this week they were softening that stance.
Republicans offered a deal to Democrats that included $1.6 billion for the border and an additional $1 billion for border and immigration related issues. But Democrats rejected it, arguing the extra funding was a "slush fund."
Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) have pointed to $1.3 billion for the border as their cap in the negotiations and that it should go toward fencing instead of a physical concrete wall.
Schumer warned on Thursday that Democrats "are not budging on the wall" even if Trump rejects the Senate-passed seven-week stopgap bill.
"Let me just walk my friends in the House through it. Democrats are not budging on the wall. We favor smart, effective border security, not a medieval wall. A Trump shut down will not convince a single Democrat to support bilking the American taxpayer for an ineffective, unnecessary and exorbitantly expensive wall," Schumer said.
It isn’t the GOP’s Wall, it’s America’s Wall.
[A Trump shut down will not convince a single Democrat to support bilking the American taxpayer for an ineffective, unnecessary and exorbitantly expensive wall,” Schumer said. ]
LOL, Democrats are fiscal hawks now.
Shut this baby down till we get the wall. Unlike with a D president, things will get shut down that no one misses.
Maybe Trump’s “temper tantrums” won’t build a wall, but what have your VERY REAL bursts of anger and flow of tears ever accomplished?
Donald Trump is still President and you are still the Minority Leader in the Senate.
This is a hill to fight and win. Not much of the government is going to be shut down. So, shut it down and leave it down for months, if necessary. Rats waste 5B at the drop of a hat, take it from State and delete the stupid 10B giveaway to Honduras. Or, announce today, that the DoD is doing it and doing it right, right now. But get ‘er done.
Paul Ryno wasted two years and we got nothing from the House. What a wasted opportunity by Ryno, to zero out and cut numerous horrible government expenditures.
Put one brick on top of another. Soon we’ll have a wall.
I hope they shut it down. My take is different then chuckies. I think it shows that the minority in comgress is holding the budget hostage until they get their way. Not the other way around as the msm would have us believe.
Nobody will remember the shutdown in two years. Do it!
I will give the Democrats this. They know how to please their people with results.
“Our” side of the Uniparty are embarrassed even to be seen with us.
http://redstatewatcher.com/article.asp?id=144280
Schmucky and Piglosi et al. would be wise to take note that We The People aren’t in the mood for their Marxist anti-national security crapola. Perhaps it’s Yellow Vest time in DC, ya think?
Says the guy whose Senate passed that CR with a voice vote.
Gutless wonders.
And what do Schumer’s temper tantrums get him? He throws plenty of them.
Schumah knows how to rub it on our faces. This is the part about the Gutless Old Part that I hate the most. The cowing to thugs.
Only a fool would call the lack of funding for our national security a "temper tantrum." The breach of our national security has been going on for more than 30 years. Schumer supported border security before he was against it.
Only people who have no respect for our immigration laws would be so foolish and treasonous to continue to steamroller the forgotten men and women of America, putting us all at risk.
Lol. Hey Chuckie, when I have a temper tantrum you’ll be on a plane to your safe space.
7.5 billion for border security, he says he favors it. Let the little demon oppose it.
How come whenever Chuck Schumer talks, you see Nancy Pelosi’s lips move?
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