Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) has said he believes House and Senate leaders from Republican and Democratic parties are close to reaching a budget deal before the April 28 deadline to prevent a possible government shutdown and a continuing resolution, Defense News reported Sunday.
“If the president doesn’t interfere and insist on poison-pill amendments to be shoved down the throat of the Congress, we can come up with an agreement,†Schumer told reporters in a conference call Tuesday.
“We want to make sure it’s a good budget that meets our principles, but so far, so good,†he added.
Joe Gould writes Schumer noted that Democrats would refuse to fund President Donald Trump’s proposed U.S. border wall with Mexico and that the immigration issue should be tackled in the fiscal 2018 budget.
Trump said in a Twitter post Sunday that Obamacare would not get funds to continue if Democrats fail to fund the proposed border wall, according to a report by David Morgan and Doina Chiacu for Reuters.
“The Dems need big money to keep [Obamacare] going – otherwise it dies far sooner than anyone would have thought,†Trump added.
The White House announced last week that it will provide federal agencies guidance that outlines contingency plans in the event of a government shutdown.