Shelby: We’re Trying to Avoid a Government Shutdown — Don’t Know Where We Can Get More Money for Border

Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Your World,” Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) said the Senate was trying to avoid a government shutdown, and they did not have the money for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border that President Donald Trump has threatened a to shut down the government over.

Shelby said, “We’re trying to avoid a situation where it would call for a government shutdown. We’ve been working the appropriations process as we speak on the floor of the Senate. We’re working it together to try to stay within the appropriations bills and keep riders and authorizations off of them. We hope to make those deadlines. I don’t know if we’ll make it all between now and October 1.”

He continued, “Now, I shared some of the president’s concern about the border. We have not protected our border for 30, 40 years. It’s gotten worse and worse. He wants more money. We don’t know how — where we can get the money. At the same time, that will be something that we’ll have to work out between the House and the Senate. Right now we’re going to continue to work the appropriations process and try to avoid the specter of a shutdown come October 1.”

He added, “Pressure works, fear works with us. We fear a government shut down. We should try to avoid it. Maybe the president is sending us a message.”

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