Pushing the government to the brink of a partial shutdown, the White House is insisting that Congress provide $5 billion to build a wall along the US-Mexico border despite lawmaker resistance from both parties, the AP reports. 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 $5 billion down payment to fulfill his campaign promise to build a border wall, but he doesn't have the votes for that level of funding.
Both parties have suggested that Trump would likely need to make the next move to resolve the impasse. The House is taking an extended weekend break, returning Wednesday night. The Senate returns Monday after a three-day absence. Democratic congressional leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi have proposed no more than $1.6 billion, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill. The money would not go for the wall but for fencing upgrades and other border security. Showing no signs of budging, Schumer said Sunday that it was up to Trump to decide whether the federal government will partially shut down, sending thousands of federal employees home without pay during the holidays. "He is not going to get the wall in any form," Schumer said. (Trump insists that the wall will be built whether or not there is a deal.)
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