The Latest: Trump appears to be ready to accept budget deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on congressional border security negotiations and President Donald Trump (all times local):
7:10 p.m.

President Donald Trump appears to be grudgingly leaning toward accepting an agreement that would head off a threatened second government shutdown but provide just a fraction of the money he’s been demanding for his Mexican border wall.

Trump said Tuesday he would need more time to study the plan, but he also declared he was not expecting a shutdown to take place this weekend. The president has been under mounting pressure from fellow Republicans to accept the compromise.

Trump strongly signaled that he planned to scrounge up additional dollars for the wall by raiding other federal coffers to deliver on the signature promise of his presidential campaign.
Lawmakers have tentatively agreed to provide nearly $1.4 billion for border barriers, about one-fourth of the amount Trump has sought for his wall.
___

2:55 p.m.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says President Donald Trump got a “pretty good deal” in border security negotiations, even though funding falls short for the long-promised wall with Mexico.

McConnell says he spoke with the president and recommended Tuesday that he sign the bill into law.

Congress is racing to prevent another partial government shutdown Friday over Trump’s $5.7 billion demand for the wall. The tentative deal provides about $1.4 billion.
The Republican leader said Trump did “just fine,” adding he hopes the president agrees.

McConnell also said he thinks the president should “feel free” to use other tools to secure the border.

Trump has talked about invoking a national emergency order or other options to build the wall. McConnell had previously cautioned against such a move.
__
12:55 p.m.

President Donald Trump says that despite his unhappiness with a tentative agreement to prevent another partial government shutdown, he’s “thrilled” about the direction of border wall construction.

He says the bottom line is that “we’re building a lot of wall.”

Trump says he’s able to do that by “supplementing things and moving things around.” He says the money is coming from “far less important areas.”

Trump said he needs to look further at the agreement to avert the shutdown, which would grant far less than the $5.7 billion he wants for a long wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Republicans and the White House are anxious to avoid another bruising shutdown.
__

12:15 p.m.

President Donald Trump says ‘I can’t say I’m thrilled’ with a congressional compromise on border security designed to avert a second government shutdown.

A committee negotiating new border security measures tentatively agreed Monday night to dedicate $1.4 billion to Trump’s border wall, far less than his $5.7 billion goal.

The huge funding measure, which combines seven spending bills into one, would fund several federal agencies through Sept. 30.

The question now is whether Trump will sign the measure. He says he can’t say he’s happy. Still, he says the wall is getting built. Trump also says he doesn’t believe there will be another shutdown.
__

10:40 a.m.

The White House says it needs more time to assess a bipartisan border security deal.

Spokesman Hogan Gidley says it’s difficult to say what will and won’t be acceptable before officials have a chance to review details of the proposal House and Senate lawmakers agreed to Monday night. Gidley says the White House wants to focus on what’s actually in the document, not “what could be” in it.

President Donald Trump has demanded $5.7 billion to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall but Congress has refused to provide the money. Negotiators instead have tentatively agreed to $1.4 billion for border barriers — well below the amount Trump has sought.

 

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]