Trump likely to agree to push government shutdown deadline to week before Christmas, following death of George H.W. Bush
- President Donald Trump told reporters Saturday that he would likely agree to a short-term funding deal that would delay a government shutdown by two weeks.
- Trump and lawmakers are reportedly concerned about time constraints that have been created by events scheduled following the death of George H.W. Bush.
- The new deadline would seemingly incentivize a deal because it comes the week before Christmas.
President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday that he expects to agree to a two-week extension of government funding ahead of the Friday, Dec. 7 deadline to fully fund the US government because of former President George H.W. Bush's death.
The prospects of a partial government shutdown have been looming in recent days after Trump last week renewed his demand for significant US taxpayer funding of his proposed US-Mexico border wall.
Trump said on Saturday that congressional leaders have sought the short-term extension and he said he would "absolutely consider it and probably give it."
According to Politico, lawmakers and Trump are concerned that events related to Bush's death will leave little time to hammer out details of a longer-term funding deal.
The new deadline, which would fall on Friday, Dec. 21, would seemingly provide an incentive for lawmakers to finish a deal to prevent a shutdown and necessary negotiations over the week of Christmas.
(Reporting by Roberta Rampton aboard Air Force One; writing by David Shepardson in Washington; editing by Darren Schuettler)