WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- If U.S. President Donald Trump continues to weigh in on government spending negotiations in Congress, a partial government shutdown may loom large in December, a senior congressional Democrat said on Wednesday.
"We believe if President Trump stays out of the appropriations process, we can have a good, bipartisan agreement and the government can move smoothly forward," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters, shortly after he was re-elected by Democrats to continue serving as their spokesman in the upper chamber after the midterm elections.
Schumer's remarks came as the current government funding, including that for several federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, is set to expire on Dec. 7. Trump has constantly pushed for congressional approval for funding the construction of his proposed wall on the U.S.-Mexico border to keep out what he said were illegal migrants.
Schumer said appropriating a maximum of 1.6 billion U.S. dollars for safeguarding border security, which the Democrats and Republicans in the Senate had agreed on, involves tough security measures, sensors, drones and roads, and provides "a far more effective way than the wall."
House Republicans and the White House, however, are seeking 5 billion dollars, down from an earlier pursuit of 23 billion dollars, according to media reports.
"And we believe Democrats and Republicans should stick with their agreement and not let President Trump interfere. Every time he interferes, it gets bollixed up," he said, adding that the Republican Party should bear the responsibility for a potential government shutdown.
Also on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, downplayed the possibility of an imminent gridlock that leaves the government dysfunctional. "No, we are not going to do that," he said.
Resolving the government spending dispute is top of the agenda for the congressional session concluding at the year's end, which is referred to as "lame duck" since the new Congress voted out by the midterm elections starts in January.
