Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Friday 4 January 2019
Day 13: Dems prepare to pass funding plan, Trump digs in

By LISA MASCARO, CATH- concludes with footage of
ERINE LUCEY and JILL COL- Trump at the border along
VIN with audio from one of his
WASHINGTON (AP) — rallies in which he vows to
House Democrats pre- build his promised border
pared Thursday to pass a wall and the crowd chants
plan to re-open the gov- "Build the wall!"
ernment without funding The Democratic package
President Donald Trump's to end the shutdown would
promised border wall, as include one bill to tempo-
Trump made a surprise rarily fund the Department
appearance pledging to of Homeland Security at
keep up the fight for his sig- current levels — with $1.3
nature campaign promise. billion for border security,
Trump strode into the White far less than Trump has said
House briefing room on he wants— through Feb. 8
the 13th day of the partial as talks would continue.
government shutdown, de- It would also include a sep-
claring that "without a wall arate measure to fund the
you cannot have border departments of Agriculture,
security." He then left with- Interior, Housing and Urban
out taking questions from Development and others
reporters. closed by the partial shut-
The appearance came down. That measure would
hours after the new Con- provide money through
gress convened, with Dem- the remainder of the fiscal
ocrats taking majority con- year, to Sept. 30.
trol of the House and re- President Donald Trump speaks in the press briefing room at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 3, The White House has reject-
turning Democratic leader 2019, in Washington. ed the Democratic pack-
Nancy Pelosi to the speak- Associated Press age.
ership. Democrats expect "Why not fully fund the De-
to quickly pass legislation to losi said in an interview that Trump is demanding billions time delivering remarks at partment of Homeland Se-
re-open the government — aired Thursday on NBC's "To- of dollars to build his wall the briefing room podium. curity? Why doesn't the Pe-
without funds for the wall. day." ''We can go through along the U.S. border with "You can call it a barrier, losi bill do that?" said White
"There is no amount of per- the back and forth," she Mexico, which the Demo- you can call it whatever House counselor Kellyanne
suasion" Trump can use to added. "How many more crats have refused. you want," Trump said. "But Conway.
get her to fund his wall, Pe- times can we say no?" Congressional leaders essentially we need protec- On Thursday, Senate Dem-
from both parties met with tion in our country. We're ocratic Leader Chuck
Trump at the White House going to make it good. The Schumer urged Majority
Wednesday, but failed to people of our country want Leader Mitch McConnell to
make progress during their it." put the House Democratic
first sit-down in weeks. The Trump said his meeting with package on the Senate
White House has invited the union officials had long floor and send it to Trump.
the leaders back Friday for been planned and just "At this point, we need to
another round of talks that happened to come at "a take the lead here in Con-
officials have suggested very opportune time." He gress in the hopes that we
might be more successful also claimed his refusal to can show President Trump
now that Pelosi has been budge was winning praise, the sweet light of reason,"
sworn in. telling reporters, "I have Schumer said.
Reporters were told Thurs- never had so much support McConnell has dismissed
day that White House Press as I have in the last week the idea as a "total non-
Secretary Sarah Huckabee over my stance for border starter" and a waste of
Sanders would be holding security." time.
a hastily called late after- White House and Depart- Vice President Mike Pence
noon briefing. Instead, out ment of Homeland Security and Acting Chief of Staff
walked Trump, flanked by officials have spent recent Mick Mulvaney were on
members of the unions that days trying to make a pub- the Hill Thursday.
represent border patrol lic and private case that Mulvaney, a former mem-
and immigration enforce- the situation at the border ber, was on the House floor
ment agents. It was his first has reached a "crisis" situ- during the vote for speaker.
ation that demands more Pence, who was on the Hill
money than Democrats swearing in new senators
have offered. for a few hours, had an
Earlier in the day, Trump impromptu, brief chat with
tweeted an ominous video Schumer, encouraging him
with images of what ap- to attend the Friday meet-
peared to be migrants try- ing at the White House.
ing to rush the border and Trump has said the partial
clashing with law enforce- shutdown, which began
ment, beneath the words Dec. 22, will last "as long as
"crisis at the border," ''drugs" it takes" to get the funding
and "crime." The video he wants.q