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McKinley talks about shutdown as it continues into new year

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The new year will start like how 2018 ended: the federal government will be under a partial shutdown with no end in sight.

President Donald Trump and the United States Congress have struggled to reach a deal to provide funding for around of quarter of the government, with the issue being Trump’s $5 billion funding request for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The shutdown, which began Dec. 21, is likely to continue through Thursday when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives. Republicans will control the Senate with 53 seats.

The House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution earlier this month with $5.7 billion for a border wall, yet the Senate approved a different measure without Trump’s request. Sixty senators would have to vote for a measure for it to advance.

“Everyone has to get back in Washington,” U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., said on Monday’s MetroNews “Talkline.”

“The House had passed its bill. It was sitting over there. The Senate would not take it up because (Senate Minority Leader) Chuck Schumer would not allow the Democrats to provide the 60 votes necessary to take the bill up for consideration. So, it froze.”

Trump — who said in a meeting with Democratic leaders earlier this month he would be proud to shut down the government — has blamed Democrats for the partial closure.

U.S. Rep. David McKinley. R-W.Va.

“We will be forced to close the Southern Border entirely if the Obstructionist Democrats do not give us the money to finish the Wall & also change the ridiculous immigration laws that our Country is saddled with,” he tweeted Friday. “Hard to believe there was a Congress & President who would approve!”

McKinley said Trump is right for not agreeing to a compromise with less border security funding. The congressman added there should be a deal struck between all sides, even putting the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — which allows people brought to the United States illegally as children to stay in the country — forward for consideration.

“That has been one of their Democrat primaries. I’m OK with that,” he said. “Let’s get it so we have border security. We know the problems with this when we have openings on the border. We have drug trafficking. We have sex trafficking happening. I can go on with all the other problems, but we need border security.”

There is also a lack of clarity about what is acceptable on the southern border; outgoing White House chief of staff John Kelly told the Los Angeles Times the idea of an all-concrete wall was abandoned “early on in the administration.” He also said security on the border will include multiple parts.

Trump said Monday some parts of the border will include concrete walls while others need a see-through barrier.

McKinley said border security should be a mixture of approaches, including drones, steel slats, concrete walls and Border Patrol agents.

“Any way we can intercept those people who are coming across illegally or inappropriately,” he said.

House Democrats announced Monday bills to re-open the government, with one measure including $1.3 billion for border security. The bill would also allow negotiations to continue through Feb. 8.

“The Democrats will probably submit a Bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives NOTHING to Border Security, namely the Wall,” the president tweeted Monday night.

McKinley said he is confident incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will not put forward any legislation with funding for additional security efforts at the border.

“She already said she is not going to put one dime into a wall or some kind of barrier on the southern border,” he said. “If we don’t get it now, I don’t know if we will later.”

As the partial shutdown continues, thousands of federal employees are working without pay while thousands of others have been furloughed.





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