Trump threatens border security shutdown, GOP cool to idea

Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but President Donald Trump still says he's willing to close the government over border security issues, including money he wants to build a promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

"I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" Trump tweeted yesterday.

"Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!" "We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump said.

Trump returned to the idea after a meeting at the White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., where they were said to have agreed on the way forward on government funding for the budget year that starts Oct 1.

McConnell told a radio interviewer last week that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections won't happen. McConnell acknowledged, however, that the border funding issue in particular was unlikely to be resolved before the balloting.

Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting: "The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done."
He added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it's a question of when."
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said yesterday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that it would be unhelpful to shut down the government just before elections "so let's try and avoid it."