Democrats propose plan to reopen US government

Nancy Pelosi (red shirt) is the minority leader in the House of Representatives. Photo: WSP.

Democrats are considering passing a budget that would allow the government to fully reopen when they take control of the House of Representatives on January 3.AFPtoday news

Democrats are proposing to pass an administration budget through February 8 that would fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has overall responsibility for border security. They say the budget would give the president more time to reach a deal with Congress on border security. Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives after their victory in the November 2018 midterm elections.

The Senate has passed similar proposals in recent times, but Trump has not supported them and they have not been sent to the House. "If Senate Republicans reject the bill they supported, it would be the height of irresponsibility and political scorn," Democratic leaders said in a statement.

Democrats also urged the Senate to pass the bill, creating the conditions to reopen the government, and believe "the President will have to behave properly and sign the bill immediately."

However, the new Democratic draft seems uncertain, as it does not include funding for a border wall with Mexico, which President Trump has been trying to achieve to prevent illegal immigration.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that Democrats could come up with a "lovely" bill that would grant everything but nothing for border security, including a wall.

Trump has claimed that Mexico paid for the wall through a new trade deal reached between the three countries, which also includes Canada. However, his explanation has not been proven.

The US Congress is on New Year's recess and will resume on January 3, while Trump remains at the White House. The US President had to postpone his New Year's holiday with his family in Florida to deal with the government shutdown.

Democrats, meanwhile, say the border wall idea is a distraction from complex immigration issues and a tool for Trump to win over conservatives. Congress is scheduled to meet on January 2, before a new session begins the following day.

The House of Representatives previously approved $5 billion for border wall funding, but it is unlikely to pass the Senate. Republicans have only 51 seats in the Senate, while the budget bill needs 60 votes.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, said he would wait until a draft passed by both houses and had the support of Trump, to proceed to a vote in the Senate. However, observers assessed that possibility as too remote.