House Republicans said they’re confident they will avert a government shutdown before a Sept. 30 deadline, despite President Trump acknowledging the possibility on Wednesday.
“If it happens it happens. If it’s about border security, I’m willing to do anything,” Trump said during a meeting with GOP leadership from both chambers Wednesday.
Republicans lawmakers have largely expressed reluctance to shut down the government — particularly as they fight to hold on to the majority in November.
“That’s not in anyone’s interest, and he knows that,” Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said at a press conference Wednesday morning.
Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.) said he thinks the president made the remarks to put pressure on Congress to act, adding there is “no question” he believes shutting down the government is a bad idea.
“I highly doubt it’s going to happen,” Curbelo told reporters. “I think he likes to say things like that, but I highly doubt it’s going to happen,” he told reporters.
Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, said he’s confident the government will remain funded.
“I think we’ll find a way out. I don’t think there will be a shutdown,” he told The Hill. “I’m hopeful we get the money he needs and we work it out, but I don’t view us as having a shutdown.”
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) didn’t say a shutdown was off the table, but said the meeting between leadership and the president was productive and they will continue to work toward finding a solution.
“Well clearly the president campaigned on securing the border and building the wall, and we strongly support those efforts. In fact, we passed bills through the House to fund the wall to make sure that we can secure the border,” he told reporters.
“Obviously, we’ve got some differences with the Senate right now on that. But there are a number of other items that we are working on that we talked with the president about and there is some wall being built. Obviously, there’s a lot more wall we want to see built and we want to close loopholes.”
The president’s remarks came shortly after Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told members of the conservative Republican Study Committee that Trump has no plans to shut down the government during a meeting on Capitol Hill.
Trump’s also told The Daily Caller on Sunday, “I don’t like the idea of shutdowns.”