Senate leaders negotiating to avert shutdown
Trending News
WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate leaders are negotiating to avert a federal shutdown over President Donald Trump's demand for $5 billion for the border wall with Mexico.
In talks Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell proposed $1.6 billion for border security, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill, plus an additional $1 billion that Trump could use on the border, according to a senior Democratic aide unauthorized to speak publicly about the private meeting.
Democrats are likely to reject that, the aide said, and characterized the additional money as a "slush fund."
Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi have proposed $1.3 billion. That money would not be for a wall, but for border fencing.
Earlier Tuesday, the White House indicated Trump may be willing to accept the Senate bill, if other money was also available.