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Trump rejects Dems’ proposal to reopen government, sticks with wall demand

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EFE

President Donald Trump on Tuesday rejected the proposal by Democratic congressional leaders to fully reopen the government, which has been partially shut down since Dec. 22, because it does not include the funds he considers necessary to build a wall along the US-Mexico border.

“The Democrats , much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security - and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border!” said Trump on his official Twitter account.

Trump trashed the plan that Democratic leaders had announced on Monday to try and fully reopen the government on Jan. 3, when they will retake control of the House of Representatives.

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The bill spearheaded by the likely new speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi , and by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , was lambasted by Trump before the formal legislative process leading to its adoption could be started.

The Democrats’ plan includes approving the provisional budget bill to finance the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8, increasing funds for border security and other such measures by $1.3 billion, far below the $5 billion Trump has demanded.

According to a joint statement issued by Pelosi and Schumer, the measure includes six bills to finance the government through 2019 and one that authorizes funds for DHS through Feb. 8.

On Monday, Trump called upon congressional Democrats to return from their year-end break to vote for more budget funds for border security, thus reopening the portions of the government that are shut down.

The administration entered its third partial shutdown on Dec. 22 after negotiations between congressional Republicans and Democrats reached an impasse because of Trump’s demand that the budget include more than $5 billion for his much-touted wall along the US-Mexico border.

Specifically, the government paralysis affects agencies in 10 departments, including Transportation and Justice, as well as dozens of national parks, which are normally a great tourist attraction.

The closure also idles some 800,000 of the 2.1 million federal workers, who will not receive paychecks while their departments and agencies are shut down due to a lack of funding.

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