Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., labeled President Trump the “fly in the ointment” in ongoing discussions to keep the government open Tuesday and warned him against getting involved in spending talks ahead of the Sept. 30th deadline.
“The fly in the ointment here, of course, is the president, who keeps brandishing his sword and threatening,” Schumer said of Trump’s role in spending talks as he reiterates calls for his immigration to be included in the must-pass bill.
Schumer, speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill, noted that the most hawkish immigration bill received only 39 votes back in February when the Senate brought up a immigration legislation, none of which passed.
[Trump: Government shutdown a ‘very small price to pay’ for border security]
“Whenever he gets involved, he seems to mess it up,” Schumer said. “I think the true desire of the majority leader and the speaker is that we go forward and they don’t mess it up, but they’re going to have to show some strength and tell Donald Trump if you want to get the government working and not in total gridlock, he’s got to leave it to the Congress to work its will without him interfering.
The New York Democrat also argued that Trump and Republicans would receive the lion’s share of the blame politically. He noted that Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee has said a shutdown would be a bad idea.
“Usually the person that loses the shutdown is the person who caused it, and Donald Trump is making no bones about it that he might think of causing it,” Schumer said.
“The American people want us to govern,” Schumer continued. “Not just to fight and yell at each other all day long.”
[Also read: Senate GOP begs Trump to reconsider shutdown threat over immigration]
