President Trump lashed out at Senate Democrats Saturday for shutting down the federal government, saying they are “far more concerned with Illegal Immigrants than they are with our great Military or Safety at our dangerous Southern Border.”
“They could have easily made a deal but decided to play Shutdown politics instead,” Mr. Trump tweeted early Saturday morning, about six hours after the Senate failed to pass another short-term spending bill that would have kept the government open.
Mr. Trump noted that the shutdown coincides with the first anniversary of his inauguration.
“The Democrats wanted to give me a nice present,” he said.
In voting before midnight, Democrats made good on their threat to withhold votes to fund the government until Republicans agree to grant citizenship rights to illegal immigrant “Dreamers.” Four Republicans voted with 44 Democrats in mounting the filibuster.
The president said the shutdown illustrates the need for more Republican victories in the mid-term elections this year.
“For those asking, the Republicans only have 51 votes in the Senate, and they need 60,” Mr.Trump said. “That is why we need to win more Republicans in 2018 Election! We can then be even tougher on Crime (and Border), and even better to our Military & Veterans!”
He said Congress needs more Republicans “in order to power through mess!”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said “Senate Democrats own the ’Schumer Shutdown,” referring to Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York.
“They put politics above our national security, military families, vulnerable children, and our country’s ability to serve all Americans,” she said. “This is the behavior of obstructionist losers, not legislators.”
The White House is saying now that it won’t resume negotiations on the status of “Dreamers” until Democrats agree to fund the government.
“When Democrats start paying our armed forces and first responders we will reopen negotiations on immigration reform. During this politically manufactured Schumer shutdown, the president and his administration will fight for and protect the American people,” Mrs. Sanders said.
The president canceled plans to fly to his private club in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, on Saturday for a celebration of his first anniversary in office. Couples were paying $100,000 each to attend the gala.
The White House said it will have 152 full-time staffers working during a shutdown, out of a total of 371 full-time employees. All employees are expected to show up for work on Monday, but nonessential staff are to report “for the sole purpose of engaging in orderly shutdown activities” and then leave the premises.
The Office of Management and Budget will have 137 out of a total of 456 full-time employees working during the shutdown, according to an OMB memo.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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