Trump suggests Republicans don’t need Democrats to avoid shutdown as he balks at their demands

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump suggested Republicans should walk away from spending negotiations with Democrats, arguing the majority party will rely on itself to avoid a shutdown later this month — despite the math indicating otherwise.

In an appearance on “Fox and Friends” on Friday morning, Trump balked at top Democrats’ demands to include some health care policies in whatever stopgap funding measure Congress passes later this month. Trump pushed back against any requirements from Democrats in Congress, claiming that nothing would be enough to satisfy the other party.

“If you gave them every dream, they would not vote for it,” Trump said. “Don’t even bother dealing with them. We will get it through because the Republicans are sticking together for the first time in a long time.”

Instead, Trump suggested that Republicans would keep the government open themselves, claiming GOP leaders “have to get Republican votes. That’s all.”

However, any spending deal will be subject to the 60-vote filibuster requirement in the Senate, meaning at least seven Democrats will need to side with Republicans to advance the measure. But Trump brushed off that math — without explaining how he could avoid a shutdown absent the needed Democratic support.

“No. We’re gonna do a — probably a continuing resolution, or we’re gonna do something. So we’re gonna do something,” he said. “Here is the problem. The Democrats have — they’re sick. There is something wrong with them. Schumer is at the end of the rope.”

The government is scheduled to shut down at midnight on Oct. 1, after which funding will lapse for a slew of federal agencies. Top appropriators are still negotiating how to avoid the spending freeze, although it’s likely they will take a two-pronged approach to pass three of the 12 annual appropriations bills in one package known as a “minibus” and then temporarily extend the deadline for the remaining nine bills.

Details of the temporary extension, known as a continuing resolution, are not yet finalized, sources familiar with talks told the Deseret News. Appropriators have floated punting the deadline until mid-November to keep the pressure on, but White House officials confirmed to the Deseret News that Trump has suggested a Jan. 31 deadline.

Also unclear is whether the continuing resolution will be “clean,” meaning it extends current government funding levels with no other policies or spending attached. Republicans are pushing for such a measure, but Democrats are demanding that the measure either includes extensions for expiring Obamacare subsidies or increased spending for Medicaid after the program experienced cuts in Trump’s massive tax bill.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has indicated he is willing to risk a shutdown if neither of those demands are met — raising the risk of a funding lapse later this month.

That prompted top Republicans such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., to accuse Democrats of politicizing the appropriations process, which has, except in recent years, been a typically bipartisan process.

“But they don’t have a good reason to do it,” Thune told Punchbowl News. “And I don’t intend to give them a good reason to do it.”

The House could move forward with voting on a continuing resolution as early as next week, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla. The House and Senate are also expected to conference to hash out the final details on the minibus legislation as early as next week.

Rep. Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, will be on the 19-member panel to work with the Senate, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., announced on Friday.