President Donald Trump said Thursday that if the government shuts down on Friday evening, it will be because of Democrats, and Americans will not reap the benefits of his proposed tax cuts, The Hill reported.
On Tuesday, the GOP majority in the House passed legislation favored by Trump to keep the government funded through September by a vote of 217-213. Although the Republicans hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate, they will need some Democrats to approve the measure, or it will fail to achieve the 60 votes necessary to pass the upper chamber.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Wednesday that Republicans do not have enough votes to pass their continuing resolution, making the threat of a partial government shutdown that much more likely.
"They do a shutdown, and, ultimately, that might lead to very, very high taxes because we're talking about a shutdown," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "We're talking about getting to work immediately on the greatest tax bill ever passed. That was the one we did. It was a renewal, and it's an addition to it.
"If there's a shutdown, it's only because of the Democrats, and they would really be taking away a lot from our country, and from the people of our country," Trump said.
Fears of a shutdown have been amplified due to the massive cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency, which has dismissed thousands of federal workers.
"We're going to cut people's taxes. And if we don't open, the Democrats are stopping all of these good things that we're providing," he said.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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