President Trump is ready to deal with Democrats to end the partial government shutdown but won’t do so until they come back from vacation, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Sunday.
“First the Democrats have to come back, [House Speaker-designate] Nancy Pelosi needs to come back from Hawaii, less hula, more moola for the [Department of Homeland Security], Customs and Border [Protection], funding our border security,” Conway told “Fox News Sunday.” “They need to come to the table and do their job. A fully functioning democracy demands that both parties come to together, and that the Congress and the executive branch work together.”
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Reports surfaced Friday that Pelosi, D-Calif., was spending the New Year’s holiday period at a Hawaiian resort rather than trying to reach an agreement on a funding package that could pass both the House and the Senate given congressional Democrats do not appear willing to provide any more than $1.6 for border security.
The Washington Examiner reached a person answering the media contact number for Pelosi’s office who identified herself as “press desk” on Friday, and when asked about the vacation she said: “I’m not allowed to talk about that.” She said she would pass on a message on to the deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, who did not respond.
“It’s been many, many days since the House passed its $5.6 billion for border security,” Conway said, adding Trump was ready for “a counteroffer.” “It’s not restricted to just a wall, it’s what CBP says they need.”
In a separate interview on CNN, Conway said Trump may decide to veto a bill House Democrats have indicated they are willing to push through when they take control of the lower chamber this week that could end the shutdown. Trump’s decision depended on “what’s in it,” she explained.
“The president likes the $5.6 billion that was in the House package. His incoming acting chief of staff has and his vice president have offered less than that as a compromise. We’ve heard nothing in return,” Conway said. “A negotiation, by definition, has to include both sides. He’s in the White House. He’s in Washington, ready to negotiate. This is important for border security and keeping the government open, but if you keep saying ‘wall, wall, wall,’ because you want ‘wall’ to be a four-letter word, and we’re not being honest about everything CBP has asked for in respect to border security.”
