President Donald Trump said on Monday that he does not want to see any changes to the Senate-passed bill to end the partial government shutdown.
Trump announced on Truth Social on Monday afternoon that he does not want to see amendments to the bill, as Democrats plan not to vote for it over short-term Department of Homeland Security funding, and some conservative Republicans have sought election-integrity add-ons.
Trump wrote:
I am working hard with Speaker Johnson to get the current funding deal, which passed in the Senate last week, through the House and to my desk, where I will sign it into Law, IMMEDIATELY! We need to get the Government open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY. There can be NO CHANGES at this time. We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown that will hurt our Country so badly — One that will not benefit Republicans or Democrats. I hope everyone will vote, YES!
Hours later, in the Oval Office during a signing ceremony to launch Project Vault, a $12 billion critical-mineral stockpile, the president said he believes Congress is “pretty close to a resolution” and a reporter asked where things stand.
“Well, I spoke with Speaker Johnson, I spoke with Leader Thune, and I think they’re pretty close to a resolution,” he said.
“You know, we were at 5.6 percent GDP, and we lost a point and a half because of the 42-day shutdown. Think of that: we would have been at seven. Nobody ever saw a number like seven,” he added.
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said during the Democrat shutdown in November that it was costing the United States 15 billion each week, which would knock 1-1.5 percentage points off fourth-quarter gross domestic product.
“But despite that, we have the highest numbers we’ve ever had,” Trump added Monday. “We’re doing well, we’re going right through it, but I will say that I spoke with Senator Schumer numerous times, and I don’t think they want to see a shutdown either.”
