Trump Warns of 'Very Long' Government Shutdown, Urges 'Nuclear Option'
President Donald Trump predicted on Friday there will be a “very long” government shutdown if the Democrats do not vote to fund the border wall.
Trump tweeted, “The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don’t want Open Borders and Crime!”
The Democrats, whose votes we need in the Senate, will probably vote against Border Security and the Wall even though they know it is DESPERATELY NEEDED. If the Dems vote no, there will be a shutdown that will last for a very long time. People don’t want Open Borders and Crime!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
The president also encouraged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to exercise the “nuclear option” lowering the vote threshold in the Senate to a simple majority, so the bill passed in the House of Representatives on Thursday night, which includes $5.7 for border security would not be blocked by a filibuster.
Trump tweeted, “Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!”
Mitch, use the Nuclear Option and get it done! Our Country is counting on you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
McConnell has said on multiple occasions he does not have the votes to eliminate the Senate’s long-standing filibuster rule.
“The Leader has said for years that the votes are not there in the Conference to use the nuclear option. Just this morning, several Senators put out statements confirming their opposition, and confirming that there is not a majority in the conference to go down that road,” McConnell’s spokesman, David Popp, said in a statement, according to NBC News.
Multiple GOP senators have already voiced their opposition to exercising the nuclear option, including Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah, Richard Shelby of Alabama and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
Republicans only hold a 51 to 49 majority in the Senate, so ending the filibuster would not pass.
Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida voiced his frustration with the current impasse, tweeting that Democrats are in opposition to funding the border wall, simply because they want to “deny POTUS a win.”
“If border wall is immoral do they suggest we tear down the ones we already have?” the Republican asked.
Rubio also chastised Trump for not being clearer what his red line was.
1. This isn’t about wall,its about Dems denying POTUS a win
2. If border wall is immoral do they suggest we tear down the ones we already have?
3. On Wed the WH said they “open” to Senate bill. They should have just told us they opposed it BEFORE we wasted time voting on it
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 21, 2018
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi both claimed last week during a high profile meeting with Trump in the Oval Office and multiple times since that Trump did not have the votes in the House to secure border wall funding.
The legislation passed by a comfortable margin — 217 to 185 — putting the ball back in Schumer and the Democrats’ court to vote for or against border security, rather than sending legislation to Trump that did not include funding.
Trump praised the House Republicans for their vote.
No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves. They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2018
“No matter what happens today in the Senate, Republican House Members should be very proud of themselves,” the president tweeted. “They flew back to Washington from all parts of the World in order to vote for Border Security and the Wall. Not one Democrat voted yes, and we won big. I am very proud of you!”
If a spending bill is not agreed to by both chambers, the government will partially shut down at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.
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