Update – Paul Ryan confirms Trump will NOT sign the Senate spending deal:
RYAN: trump says he won’t sign senate bill.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
House conservatives feel like they’re finally getting the fight they always wanted. But they’ll run into two hurdles: a shrunken house beset by absences, a senate that doesn’t agree w them.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
Welp, Speaker Ryan says Trump will NOT sign the Senate-passed CR.
A government shutdown looking more likely by the minute!
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) December 20, 2018
BREAKING: Speaker Ryan says President Trump will not sign short-term continuing resolution passed by Senate. https://t.co/vNp0vlw0TF pic.twitter.com/PeZWvSF5lo
— NBC News (@NBCNews) December 20, 2018
Update – House Republican leadership and Freedom Caucus members are currently meeting with the President:
MARK MEADOWS and JIM JORDAN are going to the noon meeting at the White House, per several sources.
If youre a House GOP leader or rank-and-file member looking to get out of town, this is getting worse for you.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
I am now told that the following people are going to the White House:
Paul Ryan
Kevin McCarthy
Mark Meadows
Jim Jordan— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
UPDATE: Scalise is also going.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
A deal is also being floated for Democrats to obtain wall funding:
BREAKING HERE: the Wall for the Gateway Tunnel? Top source tells key group of House Repubs want GOP to make offer to Dems – they agree to wall money and WH/GOP funds Gateway. (Key project for Schumer and Dems in New York.)
Obviously v v fluid now, but this is serious idea.
— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) December 20, 2018
No word on if this deal is being taken seriously.
Update – Now Republican leadership is considering a spending bill with full wall funding (Warning: strong language):
On the House floor, leaders scrambling to see if they can pass $5 billion in wall funding as Republicans say they want President Trump to tweet before they say “yes.”
“That’s what the f*** serving in Congress has come to,” one GOP member of Congress tells me.
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) December 20, 2018
Path today might be putting $5 billion in wall funding on the House floor, likely going down — to prove it can’t pass
Then possibly proceed to an clean CR vote? #mess
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) December 20, 2018
Update – House Republicans are apparently revolting against the Senate spending plan, upending leadership’s plans. It appears many are unwilling to fold on the wall funding and are standing by President Trump.
Many republicans were talking to up here want a fight. They know they won’t end up w $5 billion but they don’t wanna fold quite yet.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
Rep. John Shimkus described it as “rank-and-file members revolted” this morning… leading to the sudden change in plans. https://t.co/iFWkYBa4qe
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) December 20, 2018
Republican leadership press conference CANCELLED
Not a good sign
— Kasie Hunt (@kasie) December 20, 2018
It’s unclear if the spending bill will pass the House.
Update – Trump just lashed out at GOP leadership, saying that he was promised a wall earlier in the year. He has still not confirmed whether or not he’ll sign the Senate-approved spending package:
When I begrudgingly signed the Omnibus Bill, I was promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn’t happen! We foolishly fight for Border Security for other countries – but not for our beloved U.S.A. Not good!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
The federal government is set to shut down Friday night at midnight if a spending deal isn’t reached in time. President Trump has demanded, in exchange for him keeping the government open, funding for a border wall along the U.S.’s southern border.
Talks have gone back and forth, but the latest news is that President Trump is considering a veto of the spending bill if it doesn’t include wall funding.
The veto rumor
Yesterday, Vice President Mike Pence told Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn that the President would ultimately sign the spending bill. (RELATED: John Cornyn Confirms Trump Will Sign Spending Deal Without Wall.)
However, now there are rumors flying around Washington that Trump might actually veto the bill. Jake Sherman of Politico reports:
WARNING … I’ve spoken to multiple senior White House aides this morning who have no idea what the plan is for the stopgap spending bill. Concerns he might veto are rampant.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 20, 2018
House Republican leadership isn’t guaranteeing that Trump will sign the measure either.
GOP members asked leadership in meeting this morning to clarify whether Trump would sign the CR, but did not receive ANY guarantees, says @RepCurbelo.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) December 20, 2018
The shutdown standoff
Trump is requesting $5 billion in funds for the wall. In order to get those funds, he needs 60 votes in the Senate, which have to come from Democrats, as Republicans only have 51 members in the upper chamber.
Democrats are standing strong, and refusing to budge on any kind of spending deal. Senate Republicans have, in turn, reacted by caving, passing a short-term spending measure to keep the government open until February. (RELATED: House Expected To Pass Spending Bill Senate Pushed Through Late Wednesday Night.)
The House of Representatives has yet to act on the Senate’s measure. (RELATED: Trump’s Sink or Swim Moment Is Right Now.) Hardline conservative members are refusing to budge on the border wall and it appears that Democrats will be needed to ultimately pass the measure.
It now appears that the House will vote on the Senate spending package tonight:
House voting on clean CR tonight — along with 35 roll call votes on suspension bills — according to @RepChrisCollins.
Said GOP leadership presented it as a done deal.
— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) December 20, 2018
Trump has yet to weigh in publicly on the spending measure. He could change his mind any time between now and when he’d actually sign the deal.
House Republicans are urging President Trump to veto the bill, and insist on the wall, even if it means closing down the government over Christmas.
Mark Meadows says CR deal w/out wall $ will do “major” political damage to Trump bc his supporters “believe it’s a promise the president said he would keep.” Says he’s gotten hundreds of calls today indicating that & that Trump should veto it if it reaches his desk
— Julie Davis (@juliehdavis) December 20, 2018
The choice remains with the President. Will he stand strong on his demand for border wall funding? Or will he fold?
This will post will be updated throughout the day as more information comes in. Refresh for updates.
