The White House ordered federal agencies Friday to began preparations for a potential partial government shutdown after signaling President Donald Trump would demand money for key priorities in legislation to continue funding the government beyond April 29.
But the president and his aides expressed confidence that Congress would work out a spending agreement and that there won’t be any halt in government operations. Administration officials portrayed the order as normal contingency planning, stressing that the previous administration had followed the same practice as funding deadlines approached.
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Mick Mulvaney, Trump’s director of Office of Management and Budget, said Thursday Democrats will need to agree to pay for some Trump’s top priorities, including a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, in legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends Oct. 1.
Democrats in both chambers of Congress have some leverage on spending legislation despite being in the minority. In the House, a group of conservatives, led by the Freedom Caucus, are expected to oppose the spending bill currently being negotiated in private, bipartisan talks. Meanwhile, 60 votes are needed in the Senate and Republicans only hold 52. Congress could pass a short-term extension of current funding levels to keep the government open while allowing more time for negotiations.
