White House signals some compromise in ending U.S. government shutdown
[Reuters]
By Ginger Gibson and Jeff Mason
,Reuters•January 6, 2019
By Ginger Gibson and Jeff Mason
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Showing signs of compromise, the White House signaled on Sunday that talks to reopen the federal government could produce a deal in which President Donald Trump moves away from his demand that a proposed barrier along the southern border be a concrete wall.
The possible concession, which comes days after Trump had floated a barrier of steel instead of a concrete wall, came even as a top official warned that the shutdown, now in its third week, could "drag on a lot longer."
Trump, speaking to reporters outside the White House on Sunday, repeated his threat that if he is unhappy with negotiations in a few days, he could declare a national emergency and use the military to construct a wall, circumventing Congress. He also said he was willing to accept a steel barrier instead of a concrete wall.
Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" program that agreeing to a steel separation would allow Democrats to stick to their refusal to fund a wall.
"That should help us move in the right direction," said Mulvaney, who is also the head of the Office of Management and Budget.
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/white-house-signals-compromise-ending-u-government-shutdown-140419242--business.html
