financetom
Politics
financetom
/
Politics
/
Talks on government shutdown continue in the US
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Talks on government shutdown continue in the US
Jan 6, 2019 4:32 AM

White House officials and congressional aides are returning to discussions Sunday to find a way to reopen the government after emerging from the first round of weekend talks without a breakthrough.

President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday: "Not much headway made today." The president later tweeted that he planned to go to his retreat at Camp David, Maryland, on Sunday morning to discuss borders security and other topics with senior staff in a meeting separate from the negotiations.

Democrats agreed there had been little movement Saturday, saying the White House did not budge on the president's key demand, $5.6 billion to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

The White House said funding was not discussed in-depth, but the administration was clear they needed funding for a wall and that they wanted to resolve the shutdown all at once.

Accusations flew after the more than two-hour session led by Vice President Mike Pence. Acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, in an interview with CNN's "State of the Union," accused Democrats of being there to "stall." Democrats familiar with the meeting said the White House position was "untenable."

A White House official said the meeting included a briefing on border security by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Democrats sought written details from the Department of Homeland Security on their budget needs, which the White House said it would provide.

With talks stalled, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that House Democrats plan to start approving individual bills to reopen shuttered departments starting with Treasury to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds.

"While President Trump threatens to keep the government shut down for 'years', Democrats are taking immediate further action to re-open government, so that we can meet the needs of the American people, protect our borders and respect our workers," Pelosi said.

In an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," set to air Sunday, Mulvaney argued that the administration was willing to deal. He said Trump was willing to forgo a concrete wall for steel or other materials.

"If he has to give up a concrete wall, replace it with a steel fence in order to do that so that Democrats can say, 'See? He's not building a wall anymore,' that should help us move in the right direction," Mulvaney said.

The president has already suggested his definition of the wall is flexible, referring to slats and other "border things." But Democrats have made clear they see a wall as immoral and ineffective and prefer other types of border security funded at already agreed upon levels.

Trump had campaigned on the promise that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico has refused. He's now demanding the money from Congress.

Trump, who did not attend the discussions, spent the morning tweeting about border security.

Showing little empathy for the hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed or working without pay, Trump declared — without citing evidence — that most are Democrats. He also asserted: "I want to stop the Shutdown as soon as we are in agreement on Strong Border Security! I am in the White House ready to go, where are the Dems?"

One Democrat, Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, said in his party's weekly radio address that the shutdown "is part of a larger pattern of a president who puts his personal whims and his effort to score political points before the needs of the American people. ... He is pointing fingers at everyone but himself."

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Lok Sabha passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill — All you need to know
Lok Sabha passes Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill — All you need to know
Jul 11, 2023
Activists have contended that words like "ecotourism facilities" and "any other purposes" are too vague and may pave the way for widespread exploitation and misuse.
Govt blames inaction by AAP in Punjab, Delhi for bad air quality
Govt blames inaction by AAP in Punjab, Delhi for bad air quality
Nov 6, 2023
Accusing Kejriwal of being busy with election campaigning in poll-bound states and waking up to the situation late, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, said that the Centre had held a meeting with Chief Secretaries and senior officials from four North Indian states on 20th October to discuss measures to reduce air pollution, which he claims weren't adopted by the AAP-led governments.
Brahmapuram waste plant fire: Kerala Assembly witnesses uproarious scenes, LoP says CM running away from issue
Brahmapuram waste plant fire: Kerala Assembly witnesses uproarious scenes, LoP says CM running away from issue
Mar 13, 2023
A fire that broke out at the waste treatment plant in Kochi on March 2, 2023, continues to spread toxic fumes even after 11 days of the incident. The Kerala government has said that 95 percent of the fire has been extinguished, but the smoke from the landfill has not entirely subsided. 
What is the debate over Biodiversity Bill, likely to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament
What is the debate over Biodiversity Bill, likely to be tabled in monsoon session of Parliament
Jul 12, 2023
The new bill exempts registered AYUSH practitioners and people accessing codified traditional knowledge, from sharing benefits with local communities or giving prior intimation to state biodiversity boards before accessing biological resources.
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved