White House threatens to veto Democratic bills ending shutdown

The White House on Thursday formally opposed two Democratic bills that would end a partial government shutdown, now in its 13th day.

“The Administration is committed to working with the Congress to reopen lapsed agencies, but cannot accept legislation that provides unnecessary funding for wasteful programs while ignoring the Nation’s urgent border security needs,” the White House Office of Management and Budget wrote in a statement of administration policy.

{mosads}President Trump is insisting any funding bills provide $5 billion for his proposed border wall along the southern border.

The House, newly controlled by Democrats, is expected to pass the two bills late Thursday. One would fully fund six of the seven lapsed appropriations bills through the end of the fiscal year.

The other would apply only to the Department of Homeland Security, and extend previous funding levels for a month.

Democrats, who have ruled out providing new money for a concrete barrier, say that would allow them time to negotiate with the White House over border security while allowing 800,000 federal workers to get back to work and get paid.

Democrats hope that by passing the bills, they will increase pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to put them to a vote. McConnell says he will not put bills on the floor that Trump does not intend to sign.