WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer on Monday denounced the White House for sending mixed messages over the funding of the president's promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.
"Different people from the same White House are saying different things about what the President would accept or not accept to end his #TrumpShutdown, making it impossible to know where they stand at any given moment," Schumer tweeted on Monday afternoon.
"Instead of bringing certainty into people's lives, he's continuing the #TrumpShutdown just to please right-wing radio and TV hosts," Schumer said.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, tweeted on the same day that he is waiting for the Democrats to come back and "make a deal on desperately needed Border Security."
"At some point the Democrats not wanting to make a deal will cost our Country more money than the Border Wall we are all talking about. Crazy!" Trump said, adding in a later tweet that "Democrats must end Shutdown."
The Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney told "Fox News Sunday" that the White House has given a "counter-offer" to Schumer, with a number that fell between the 5 billion U.S. dollars demanded by the president and the 1.3 billion offered by the Democrats.
The partial government shutdown, which began Friday night due to a budget impasse over the funding for the border wall, closed about a quarter of federal offices, affecting nine Cabinet-level U.S. departments and dozens of agencies, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation and Justice.
The Senate will return on Thursday and consider business if a deal is reached on government funding. Any spending measure would need 60 votes to clear the Senate, and the Republicans currently hold a slim 51-49 majority.
White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said Sunday that the ongoing partial government shutdown would likely extend into the new year, when the Democrats take control of the House.
