Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Republicans shouldn't allow President Donald Trump to shut down the government because of a "temper tantrum" over demands for more money for his border wall.
Schumer believes Trump does not have enough votes in either the House or the Senate to pass legislation to allow $5 billion for the president's promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The New York Democratic leader added that he and fellow House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had offered the president two options on how to avoid a partial government shutdown at the end of this week, including proposing no more than $1.6 billion for border security, including fencing upgrades.
"We should not let a temper tantrum—threats—push us in the direction of doing something that everybody, even our Republican colleagues, know is wrong," Schumer told NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.
"If the president wants to debate the wall next year he can," Schumer said. "I don't think he'll get it, but I don't think he should use innocent workers as hostages for his temper tantrum to sort of throw a bone to his base.
"Republicans just have to have the guts to tell President Trump he's off on the deep end here, and all he's going to get with his temper tantrum is a shutdown. He will not get a wall," Schumer added.
Schumer's comments arrived days before Congress must pass a budget deal that must include $5 billion for the border wall by December 21 or risk a partial government shutdown.
Stephen Miller, a White House senior adviser and immigration hardliner, said Trump would "do whatever is necessary to get his border wall, even if it meant shutting down the government at the end of the week.
"This is a very fundamental issue. At stake is the question of whether or not the United States remains a sovereign country, whether or not we can establish and enforce rules for entrance into our country," Miller told CBS's Face the Nation.
During a heated Oval Office meeting with Schumer and Pelosi last week, Trump said he would be "proud" to shut down the government if he does not get his funding.
"Because the people of this country don't want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country, so I will take the mantle," Trump said.
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Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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