While President Donald Trump is in the middle of an investigation by the FBI. The investigation is worsening for him with his former attorney cooperating with officials, even releasing compromising audio tapes of private conversations. Despite the investigation, he is not losing sight of his promise to build the wall on the southern border, which Mexico is not paying for. President Trump is even threatening a government shutdown over it.
On Sunday, the president tweeted that he would shut down the government if Congress did not approve a budget for the border wall.
I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
While the deadline isn’t until September, Congress is typically out on recess during the month of August. However, according to CNN, their recess this month will be cut short in order for Congress to discuss the budget and Trump’s Supreme Court judge nominees.
This isn’t the first time Trump has threatened a government shutdown over the wall. In fact, there have been two shutdowns since he became president, this year alone.
President Trump starts playing the government-shutdown game again https://t.co/ew0SE396SC
— Daily Intelligencer (@intelligencer) July 30, 2018
The first Trump/government shutdown occurred earlier this year in January. Trump tried using the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program as a way to secure funding for the wall. That shut down lasted a couple of days.
The second was less than a month later when Trump refused to sign a budget that included hurricane relief for Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. He eventually signed it, but vowed never to sign a bill like that again.
The final budget will be approved in September and the president wants roughly $25 billion for the wall. Congress has already approved $1.6 billion.
.@POTUS has decided that a government shutdown over The Wall would be advantageous to his party before the Midterms. (No, Mexico’s not paying for it!) I bet a whole lot of already vulnerable @GOP candidates disagree.https://t.co/aTxKM5aSRJ
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 30, 2018
If Congress does not agree to the $25 billion, Trump could avoid signing the budget and would force the government into another shutdown.
A government shutdown means that while most government offices remain open, employees do not get paid until it reopens. Other entities such as the national parks, monuments, and agencies that process passports and visa applications, as well as servers that maintain government websites, could be affected.
GOP lawmakers are not that concerned and think that it will not come to that.
Pres. Trump says he would be willing to shut down the government over immigration.
"I don’t think we’re going to shut down the government," the chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee Rep. Steve Stivers tells @ThisWeekABC https://t.co/NMuWPlSyGv #ThisWeek pic.twitter.com/WqdKToOfp6
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) July 30, 2018
Republican representative Steve Stivers of Ohio, who also serves as chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told ABC that they will avoid a shutdown but that Congress needs to “get better policies on immigration.”
Trump issued a statement saying that he is willing to negotiate a deal about the wall.
Pres. Trump renews shutdown threat over border security, but says $25 billion in border wall funding is not a "red line."
"I have no red line, unlike President Obama." https://t.co/5LUACZLbti pic.twitter.com/sBZZIhaqaK
— ABC News (@ABC) July 30, 2018
We will have to see what bill Congress passes to the White House and how President Trump will react.
