Schumer Remarks On The Need 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 to avoid a Trump shutdown. Below are his remarks, which can also be viewed here:

“Today’s events have made one thing clear: President Trump is plunging the country into chaos. The stock market is down another 500 points. General Mattis is stepping down, and we know he had serious disagreements with the president on Syria and on the wall. And now, President Trump is throwing a temper tantrum and creating the Trump shutdown of the government. Last night, the Senate passed by voice, unanimously, a bill proposed by Leader McConnell. All speaker Ryan has to do is put it on the floor of the House, it will get a majority of votes, and the president can sign it and avoid a shutdown.

“But, unfortunately, President Trump was attacked this morning and last night by the hard right, and fearful, he backed off his commitment to sign this bill. Republican leaders told us yesterday that he was ready to sign the bi-partisan bill that passed the Senate unanimously, every Democrat and every Republican, to avoid a government shutdown.  The bill contained neither Democratic demands nor Republican demands. It said to the American people, we have a way to keep the government open. And Leader Pelosi, Leader McConnell, and myself have done everything we can to avoid a shutdown. But, President Trump wants one. He has asked for one 25 times. And he said in front of us, he’d be ‘proud’ to shut down the government. It is nothing to be proud of. The bottom line is simple – the Trump temper tantrum will shut down the government, but it will not get him his wall.

“The bill that is on the floor of the House, everyone knows will not pass the Senate. Speaker Ryan, Leader McCarthy have cynically put it on the floor of the House, knowing it can’t pass the Senate. Everyone knows it can’t pass the Senate. It’s a cynical attempt, a cynical attempt to just hurt innocent people and do just what President Trump wants, even though they probably know it’s bad for the country. So, bottom line is very simple – there is still hope, Leader Pelosi and I have put two proposals on the table, we have not taken them off, that would avoid a government shutdown and would get a majority of votes in the House and Senate. Leader McConnell had put on the floor last night a proposal that would avoid shutting down the government. It is a shame that this president, who is plunging the nation into chaos, is throwing another temper tantrum and is going to hurt lots of innocent people. The Trump temper tantrum may produce a government shutdown, it will not get him his wall.”

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