Trump Says Government Shutdown ‘Possible’ Over Border Spending

(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump said a partial government shutdown is “possible” if Congress doesn’t provide for border security in a spending bill.

“If we don’t get border security, possible shutdown,” Trump told reporters Thursday as he departed the White House for the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires.

Funding is set to end Dec. 7 for some federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the National Park Service. Congress already passed full-year funding for many other federal agencies, meaning they would remain open.

House Republicans have passed a spending bill that includes $5 billion for the president’s proposed border wall, while Senate Democrats have proposed $1.6 billion for the project.

Trump met on Tuesday with House Republican leaders to discuss legislative strategy around the issue.

Earlier this week, Richard Shelby, the Alabama Republican that heads the Senate Appropriations panel, said $5 billion was a red line for Trump. But Shelby has proposed splitting that $5 billion over two years, and the White House is considering that proposal.

Last week, Trump also said a government shutdown “could happen.”

“Yeah,” Trump told reporters. “Over border security. The wall is just a part of border security -- a very important part. Probably the most important part. But could there be a shutdown? There certainly could. And it will be about border security, of which the wall is a part.”

--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs.

To contact the reporters on this story: Justin Sink in Washington at jsink1@bloomberg.net;Erik Wasson in Washington at ewasson@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alex Wayne at awayne3@bloomberg.net, Justin Blum

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