Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin ripped President Trump’s negotiating ability and leadership skills as a major cause of the government shutdown due to the uncertainty he’s thrown into negotiations.
Durbin said on NBC’s “Meet The Press” Sunday that Trump initially told a bipartisan group of lawmakers he’d sign any deal they sent him. Durbin said he and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham then brought a deal to him that he summarily shot down.
“What we’re trying to do is find a solution to a shutdown, which we believe is a Trump shutdown. You’ve heard it over and over,” Durbin said.
“When the president said on Jan. 9, and I was sitting right next to him, you send me a bill to solve the problem that he created on [the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program], ‘I’ll sign it. I’ll take the political heat.’ Within 48 hours Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, and I presented that bill to him, he rejected it out of hand.”
Durbin then pointed to Friday negotiations between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Trump, when it appeared a deal could be reached.
“There were two other people in the room. They hammered out an agreement where Chuck Schumer made major concessions on one of the major issues, the president’s wall,” Durbin said. “Within two hours the White House called and said that deal is off.”
“So, if you wonder what kind of shutdown it is and who is to blame the president in both instances could have stepped forward to show leadership.”
Durbin said Democrats will continue to negotiate with Republicans in Congress and the White House, but Trump needs to do more as the country’s president.
“We’ll talk every minute of every day and I wish the president would help us. At some point his leadership would make the difference,” he said.
