The White House late Tuesday said President Trump won’t sign Democratic legislation aimed at funding the government without funding a border wall, a sign the government shutdown will continue for days or even weeks into the new year.
“Speaker Designate Nancy Pelosi released a plan that will not re-open the government because it fails to secure the border and puts the needs of other countries above the needs of our own citizens,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said late Tuesday.
“The Pelosi plan is a non-starter because it does not fund our homeland security or keep American families safe from human trafficking, drugs, and crime,” she added.
Parts of the government were left without funding in late December, after Democrats refused to agree to Trump’s push for $5 billion in border wall funding.
After Pelosi, D-Calif., is elected House speaker this week, she plans on passing legislation to fund several agencies that don’t have funding yet, including the Department of Homeland Security. But she plans to pass a DHS bill that includes no wall funding.
In the meantime, the White House has invited leaders from both parties for a Wednesday meeting to talk about the importance of a border wall.
“The President has invited Republican and Democrat leaders in Congress to the White House for a border security briefing from senior Department of Homeland Security officials on Wednesday, and he remains committed to reaching an agreement that both reopens the government and keeps Americans safe,” Sanders said.
