WASHINGTON D.C. -- Republicans and Democrats continued blaming each other Sunday for a government shutdown that is expected to last roughly a month.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday morning saying, “Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!”
Great to see how hard Republicans are fighting for our Military and Safety at the Border. The Dems just want illegal immigrants to pour into our nation unchecked. If stalemate continues, Republicans should go to 51% (Nuclear Option) and vote on real, long term budget, no C.R.’s!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 21, 2018
The “nuclear option” refers to a rule change that would allow the Senate to pass legislation with a simple 51-vote majority. Republicans currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate.
Meanwhile, Democrats pinned the blame on Republicans for the shutdown.
"Negotiating with this White House is like negotiating with Jell-O, it is next to impossible. The President needs to pull up a chair to end this shutdown,” said Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer.
'I say pay it' to get deal for 'Dreamers': Democrat says of Trump's border wall
(ABC) A Democratic congressman said President Donald Trump’s key campaign promise of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border would be a “monumental waste of taxpayers’ money,” but Democrats should go along with it if means Republicans would agree to grant legal status to immigrants known as Dreamers who came to this country illegally as children.
“I think the wall is a monumental waste of taxpayers’ money, and it’s to build a monument to stupidity and it’s just idiotic,” Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos on "This Week" Sunday.
“Having said that, if that’s what it’s going to take in order to put 800,000 young men and women in the country ... in a safe place and put them on course to full integration in our society... I say pay it,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez, who is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, likened the president’s demands for a border wall to holding the Dreamers hostage. And, he predicted that Republicans would suffer in the midterm elections as a result. “Next November, we’ll deal with the ‘kidnappers’ at the election, at the polls,” Gutierrez said.
Republicans 'showing flexibility' to end government shutdown: White House official
(ABC) -- The White House's legislative affairs director said Republicans have been "showing flexibility" in their attempts to strike a deal with Democrats on immigration issues in order to reopen the government. “I think you've seen us move.
I think you've seen us move throughout the negotiation on immigration,” White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short told ABC News Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos in an interview on “This Week” Sunday. “We have been yielding; we have been showing flexibility to say, ‘Let's find a deal to make sure that, again, our troops and our Border Patrol agents are not denied payment, but the Democrats seem unwilling to even accept that offer, George.”
Stephanopoulos asked if Republicans and Democrats are close to coming to an agreement to resume funding the government, Short said, "I think we are making progress."
