President Donald Trump suggested he may allow a partial budget shutdown in Congress’ lame-duck session if he does not get funding for a border wall.
“So no shutdown scenario for the lame duck?” asked a journalist in the post-election press conference in the White House.
“No, I can’t commit to [preventing a budget shutdown], but it is possible,” Trump responded.
The shutdown might occur if the two parties cannot merge their rival bills for funding the Department of Homeland Security. The Senate appropriations bill includes $1.6 billion for fence construction in 2019. The House bill includes $5 billion for wall construction but packages it with a series of bills to provide business groups with additional cheap visa-workers.
However, a DHS shutdown would have a minor civic impact. Border enforcement would continue because it is a national security task, and the agency’s award of green cards and work permits would continue because those operations are funded by fees from recipients.
Also, Trump has repeatedly said in recent weeks that he will get $1.6 billion for the border fence in 2019. Those statements suggest he is willing to accept the Senate’s funding, presumably without the House’s package of $5 billion plus the extra visa-workers.
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