Incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer emerged from the White House Wednesday after a conversation with President Donald Trump about ending his shut down.
Pelosi said that she has given Republicans in the Senate every opportunity to simply approved the bill that they previously passed unanimously with a voice vote, but they simply won't do it.
"We have given Republicans a chance to take yes for an answer," she said. "We have taken their proposals unamended by any House bipartisan amendments, but just staying true to what the Senate has already done. Our question to the president and to the Republicans is, why don't you accept what you have already done to open up government, and that enables us to have 30 days to negotiate for border security?"
She explained that Democrats have already been committed to protecting borders. In fact, Democrats gave Trump $1.4 billion for border security previously and he only spent six percent of it.
"It's the oath of office we take to protect and defend," Pelosi continued. "It has been very important to us, and we have committed resources to it. When we were in the majority. And we'll continue to do so. So the bottom line is very simple. We asked the president to support the bills that we support that will open up government."
Schumer noted that he asked the president why he wouldn't end the shutdown and Trump couldn't answer.
"I asked him directly," Schumer told the press. "I said, 'Mr. President, give me one good reason why you should continue your shutdown of the eight cabinet departments while we are debating our differences on homeland security?' He could not give a good answer."
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