With Senate vote on government shutdown looming, Trump blames Democrats

KHOU 11, CBS NEWS report

KHOU & Alan Gomez, USA TODAY , KHOU 11:03 AM. CST January 19, 2018

WASHINGTON — As the Senate wrestles with the prospect of a government shutdown, President Trump took to Twitter Friday to cast blame the Democrats and use the latest budget impasse to promote GOP candidates in this year's elections.

Noting that the House passed a temporary funding bill Thursday night, Trump said that "now Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate — but they want illegal immigration and weak borders. Shutdown coming?"

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He added, alluding to the coming elections, "we need more Republican victories in 2018!"

Trump's budget director, Mick Mulvaney, put the odds of a government shutdown Friday morning at 50% — up from 30% on Thursday. The Office of Management and Budget is responsible for coordinating and enforcing a shutdown, which would send all non-essential federal workers home unless they're funded outside the annual appropriations process.

The White House itself, as a constitutional office, would remain largely open for business. But the shutdown spat could affect Trump's schedule, perhaps canceling a planned trip to Florida.

Trump is scheduled to leave Washington late Friday afternoon for another weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., one that would include a special fundraising dinner that would mark his one-year anniversary in office on Saturday.

On Friday morning, however, the White House put out a statement saying the president will remain in Washington until a government funding measure is passed.

Democrats and some Senate Republicans object to the House-approved spending plan for a variety of reasons.

Many Democrats want it to include authorization of a program designed to block deportation of people who were brought to the United States illegally by their parents. Trump has vowed to end the the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program unless Congress comes up with a legislative fix.

"We would like to keep the government open. What we'd really like the Democrats in the Senate to do is tell us why they don't like the bill," Mulvaney said. By including non-spending issues in the negotiations, he said, Democrats are doing the same thing they accused Republicans of when House Republicans refused to pass a spending bill that didn't include a repeal of the Affordable Care Act.

Others note that the House spending bill funds the government only up to Feb. 16, and that Congress will simply re-litigate these issues again next month unless they are dealt with now.

Republicans control both the Senate and the House, but Democrats are hopeful of capturing majorities after the November elections. Trump's latest attack on the Democrats came a day after he visited a congressional district in Pennsylvania that is holding a special House election in March.

If the Senate is unable to pass a spending plan – opponents may have the numbers to filibuster it – parts of the government will shut down at midnight. A shutdown would not affect the military or other essential services.