President Trump on Wednesday predicted that Republicans can extend government funding, as Congress races to avert a government shutdown by Sept. 30.
“Yeah, I do,” he said when asked if he thinks a shutdown can be avoided. “I think the Republicans will vote for an extension.”
He then in turn railed against Democrats, arguing that he doesn’t think any of them would vote for a deadline extension to keep the government open.
“We won’t have any Democrat votes. We could give the greatest budget ever— tax cut of 50 percent, everybody taken care of, perfect for women, perfect for men, perfect for minorities, perfect for everything and we wouldn’t get one vote for the Democrats. Because they’ve lost their minds, they are so deranged. They have Trump derangement syndrome,” Trump said.
He added, “These are sick people and I think we’re going to have a tremendous midterm.”
If lawmakers turn to a short-term funding bill, or a continuing resolution, Republicans will need support from Democrats to get it passed due to such narrow majorities in both chambers.
Meanwhile, Trump’s new effort to cancel funding previously approved by Congress through “pocket rescissions” is setting up a political land mine for work to avoid a government shutdown. It has bred mistrust of Republicans by Democrats who believe even if they passed a funding package, Trump could later use rescissions to yank funding for certain budget lines.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Friday that Trump’s plan is evidence that “Trump and Congressional Republicans are hellbent on rejecting bipartisanship and ‘going it alone’ this fall.”
“As the country stares down next month’s government funding deadline on September 30th, it is clear that neither President Trump nor congressional Republicans have any plan to avoid a painful and entirely unnecessary shutdown,” he said.
