White House digs in on US$5 billion demand for Mexico border wall funds, risking partial shutdown of government before Christmas
- The White House has demanded US$5 billion to partially pay for a wall along the Mexican border
- Lawmakers have until December 21 to reach an agreement to avoid shutting down the government the next day, three days before Christmas
The White House and Democratic congressional leaders are at an impasse over negotiations to avoid a partial shutdown of the US government at the end of the week, with both sides unwilling to budge from their positions on President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
Without a resolution, parts of the federal government will shut down at midnight Friday.
“We’re going to do whatever is necessary to build the border wall to stop this ongoing crisis of illegal immigration,” White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said Sunday.
Asked if that meant having a government shutdown, he said: “If it comes to it, absolutely.”
Trump said last week he would be “proud” to have a shutdown to get Congress to approve a US$5 billion down payment to fulfil his campaign promise to build a border wall.
