US PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has said that another government shutdown is unlikely following a deal which would give him significantly less money for his border wall with Mexico.
Trump said he wasn’t “thrilled” with the deal struck between Republican and Democratic lawmakers but added that “I don’t think you’re going to see a shutdown.”
The deal offers nearly $1.4 billion (€1.2 billion) for construction of the wall as well as additional border security measures.
Although significantly less than the $5.7 billion (€5 billion) Trump wanted, the solution was presented as a workable deal to satisfy both sides and to allow Trump to shelve his threat to shut down the US government this Friday.
Lawmakers – including from his own Republican Party - have pressured Trump to accept the deal.
Senator Richard Shelby, top Republican negotiator, called it “a pretty good deal” while Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said that the compromise would be voted on and likely passed.
“The deal is the way it’s going to be written, and it will be filed, I suspect, tomorrow night,” he said.
These funds would finance 88.5 kilometers of new walls along the Mexico-US border.
Although barriers already run extensively along the border, Trump argues that far more are needed to bring what he often calls an “invasion” of migrant criminals under control.
Democrats have said that Trump exaggerates the crime problem and uses the issue to whip up his right-wing voter base.
In December, Democrats refused to budge on funding for the border wall forcing Trump into an embarrassing retreat, allowing new negotiations to open with a new deadline of this Friday.
This time Republicans appeared keen to avoid a second shutdown with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell describing the compromise deal as “certainly good news.”
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