Washington, Jan 06 :
US vice president Mike Pence, Congressional leaders, presidential advisor Jared Kushner, and the Secretary of Homeland Security convened to talk to President to end the partial shutdown. President Trump however tweeted: “Not much headway made today,” about the talks over shutdown caused due to Trump’s demands for a border wall funding.
Democrats agreed there had been little movement, saying the White House did not budge on the demand for $5.6 billion and would not consider re-opening the government.
Since he became president, Trump has painted himself into a corner on the issue of a wall at the border and border security. Trump had resorted to doubling on scaremongering on immigration in order to strengthen his base after turning down an offer of of $25 billion in border security funding early last year. He was trying to get more Republicans elected during the midterm elections.
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, accused Democrats of being there to “stall.”
Democrats said the White House position was “untenable.”
Trump on Friday said he was considering declaring a national emergency to find funding for the border wall. He also said that the partial shutdown could probably go on for a long time, ‘years’ even.
A White House official also 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. The group plans to meet again Sunday.
With talks stalled, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Saturday that House Democrats plan to start approving individual bills to reopen shuttered departments starting with Treasury to ensure Americans receive their tax returns.
“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.
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.”
