Trump announces short-term plan to reopen government during funding negotiations
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has reached a deal to reopen the government for three weeks so that border security negotiations may continue without the devastating effects of the partial government shutdown.
Trump said he’s prepared to sign a bill to open the government through Feb. 15. Federal employees will get backpay “very quickly or as soon as possible,” he said.
The announcement comes on the 35th day of the longest shutdown in United States history and marks a major concession for Trump, whose impasse over the budget stems from his demands for $5.7 billion in funds for his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border ― a project Democratic lawmakers say is a firm dealbreaker.
Dem Hill source: "There is a tentative agreement between Congress and White House to do a 3-week CR+ a vehicle to go to conference to debate DHS bill / border security, with the caveat that nothing is final until the President signs it."
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) January 25, 2019
Throughout it, Trump’s reputation has suffered across parties as airports have grappled with severe delays and federal workers have gone without paychecks, putting many at risk of losing their homes, faulting on loans and missing other crucial payments.
Trump’s statement comes a day after the Senate failed to pass his proposal to reopen the government with border wall funding in exchange for temporary legal protection to some undocumented immigrants.
RELATED: Scenes from the government shutdown:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was in the middle of a roundtable with Capitol Hill reporters when reports began surfacing of Trump’s support for a short-term government funding bill. She was mum on whether she considered his proposal a final deal.
“We’re going in that direction but we’re not to that place,” said Pelosi. “I’m hopeful.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Jen Bendery contributed reporting.
