As a midnight deadline approaches, President Donald Trump is pushing Congress to keep the government open to avoid potential disruptions affecting key Department of Homeland Security agencies, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Friday.
"The president has been very clear; he doesn't want to see any of that, as he said last time that the Democrats unfortunately played politics with these issues," Kelly said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
"He wants to keep the government open to make sure we don't have to worry about any of these things," she added.
Democrats are demanding new restrictions on federal immigration agents after enforcement actions including "Operation Metro Surge" in Minneapolis, which led to thousands of arrests but sparked criticism after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both U.S. citizens.
Senate Democrats have rejected a White House funding proposal, calling it "incomplete and insufficient," and arguing that it lacks body-camera mandates and strict warrant requirements.
"We continue to submit proposals, specifically legislative texts, to Capitol Hill, to try to avert the shutdown," Kelly said.
"But of course, the Democrats, unfortunately, are once again playing politics with these jobs that Americans rely upon and other crucial services," she said.
Meanwhile, the government has released new inflation data showing a five-year low, with inflation at 2.4% last month, most of which comes from lower gasoline prices and housing costs.
"Despite the panic, these economic policies that this president has implemented have been a proven success in his first term and now in his second term," Kelly said.
"This combined formula of tax cuts, of deregulation, of lowering inflation, unleashing American energy, all of these president's actions combine to making a stronger economy, more money in the pockets for the American people," she added.
Kelly also pointed to recent job numbers.
"So today's report proves that, of course, the jobs report also coming out this week, proves that we had 170,000 private sector jobs added in this country, and 40,000 public sector jobs removed," Kelly said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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