Pence defends the shutdown: ‘I never think it’s a mistake to stand up for what you believe in’

Pence says Trump only agreed to the three-week continuing resolution, which expires Feb. 15, because Democrats said they would work toward a deal that included funding for a physical barrier.

“We were told that they [Democrats] were willing to work with us,” Pence said. “They were willing to fund a barrier at our border and address the priorities that the president laid out in that common sense approach. We’ve taken them at their word.”

Trump said he would not sign a bill that did not include the $5.7 billion for the border wall, while Democrats said would not agree to any funding. That impasse led to the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay for a month.

Pence said that he could not guarantee that there would not be another shutdown if Congress doesn’t work with Trump.

“Well, I think our hope is that there’s not but I can’t make that guarantee,” Pence said when asked if there would be another shutdown when the continuing resolution expires next week. “The simple truth is Congress needs to do their job.”