Trump accuses Democrats of trying to force shutdown
President Trump on Thursday accused Democrats of trying to force a government shutdown to stunt Republicans’ momentum from their victory on taxes.
“House Democrats want a SHUTDOWN for the holidays in order to distract from the very popular, just passed, Tax Cuts. House Republicans, don’t let this happen,” Trump tweeted.
The president said lawmakers should pass a stopgap spending bill “TODAY and keep our Government OPEN!”
House Democrats want a SHUTDOWN for the holidays in order to distract from the very popular, just passed, Tax Cuts. House Republicans, don’t let this happen. Pass the C.R. TODAY and keep our Government OPEN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 21, 2017
Trump’s comments come as Republican leaders struggle to cobble together the votes to pass a spending bill.
Many Republicans have been clamoring for Trump to become more vocal in the shutdown fight in order to calm GOP infighting over their spending plan.
Congress must approve a funding measure by Friday in order to avert a shutdown, which would be a damaging setback for Republicans following the passage of their sweeping overhaul of the nation’s tax code.
Trump and GOP lawmakers celebrated their first major legislative victory on Wednesday at the White House, but despite the president’s claim, the tax bill remains unpopular, according to opinion polls.
House Republican leaders outlined a plan that would involve passing a “clean” spending bill without other measures attached that would fund the government through Jan. 19. They would vote separately on a $81 billion disaster relief package.
But the plan has run into resistance from conservatives and defense hawks, who are frustrated their priorities aren’t being addressed in the year-end bill.
GOP leaders are also unable to rely on Democratic votes because the bill does not include their demands, such as funding to address the opioid crisis and immigration.
“House Democrats are fighting to keep the government OPEN for children who need health care, DREAMers who need security, and those in need of disaster relief,” the House Democratic Caucus responded on Twitter to Trump.
Scott Wong contributed to this report, which was updated at 10:14 a.m.
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