“I do want to open up the government. [However] the goal is not to open up the government. The goal is to fix a broken immigration system, to bring reality to this table.”
Many critics of the government shutdown have noted the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who are going without pay.
The Government Shutdown
As Graham noted during his press interview, the government shutdown ultimately boils down to immigration. President Trump has ongoingly maintained the need for proper border security; moreover, the president will not sign any legislation which fails to provide the necessary funding for the government.
Since Democrats assumed their majority in the House, they have drafted a series of bills to reopen the government. The only issue is that none of their legislation funds the president’s promised border wall. The Republican-controlled Senate is also siding with President Trump. Mitch McConnell has stated that the Senate will not consider any bills which the president himself would not sign.
