Schumer: We can get the budget done if the White House doesn't throw a Trump monkey wrench into it
Chuck Schumer Warns Trump Not To Ruin Budget Talks By Getting Involved
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chuck-schumer-trump-budget-talks_us_58ecfc4ce4b0df7e2045ae52?ar&
I said to
(White House budget director Mick Mulvaney) that the best thing he can do is let the four corners ― House Republicans, House Democrats, Senate Republicans, Senate Democrats negotiate this 2017 budget as well as the 2018 budget, and we might be able to come up with things, Schumer said. I said that to [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell as well, and he didnt argue with me. I said I dont even know who to negotiate with on 2017, given where their budget is. So there are no negotiations.
McConnell told reporters this past Friday, before Congress left for two weeks, that talks were proceeding and that Democrats would have to be involved in order to pass anything. He was optimistic they would.
While Schumer and other top Democrats may not be hearing from the White House, the minority leader was similarly optimistic ― as long as Trump doesnt decide to practice his art.
We can get this done. We Democrats want to get it done. We hope our Republican colleagues wont insist on things that force a government shutdown, Schumer said. But I think talks are going pretty well right now, and the White House doesnt have to throw a monkey wrench into it.