Schumer Remarks On The Need For Republicans To Avoid A Trump Shutdown

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today delivered the following remarks at a press conference regarding the need for Republicans to avoid a Trump shutdown:

 “Now earlier today, I met with Leader McConnell and top Senate appropriators. Leader McConnell proposed the bipartisan Senate DHS bill, which has $1.6 billion for border security, plus a $1 billion dollar slush fund for the president to use for his radical immigration agenda.

“After the meeting, I spoke to Leader Pelosi and I called Leader McConnell and told him we would not accept their $1 billion dollar slush fund and that our offers to fund the government remain.

“Let me be clear: the Republican offer today would not pass either chamber. We Democrats have made two reasonable offers that could earn overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate: One, pass the six bipartisan appropriations bills and a one-year CR for the Homeland Security bill. Or, alternatively, a one-year CR for the remaining seven appropriations bills.

“The president last week said he would be ‘proud’ to shut down the government. We Democrats don’t want to shut down the government. And, as for the idea of what Sarah Huckabee Sanders, they could get wall money from NAFTA or some other part of the government, they need congressional approval – they’re not getting it for the wall. Plain and simple. Now, where are we? The ball remains in the president’s —and the Republicans’—court to accept one of our commonsense proposals.”

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