President Donald Trump is urging Republicans to hold the line in ongoing shutdown negotiations, saying no agreement should be reached with Democrats unless they back the SAVE America Act.
"I don't think we should make any deal with the Crazy, Country Destroying, Radical Left Democrats unless, and until, they Vote with Republicans to pass 'THE SAVE AMERICA ACT,'" Trump said in a Sunday night post on Truth Social.
He added that the legislation is "far more important than anything else we are doing in the Senate," criticizing Democrats over the current standoff and proposed cuts to immigration enforcement.
Trump's post came as Punchbowl News reported Monday that Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., privately pitched the president on a new path forward Sunday — a proposal backed by Senate Republicans and some White House aides.
Thune told Trump that GOP senators would back funding for the entire Department of Homeland Security except Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the focal point of the partisan standoff over the administration's immigration policies, Punchbowl News reported.
Under the proposal, ICE funding would be addressed later through a party-line reconciliation bill — a move Thune said Democrats would accept.
The plan would leave out key Democrat demands, such as banning masks for federal agents or requiring judicial warrants. However, it would ensure TSA agents are paid and ease major airport security disruptions, the Punchbowl report said.
Trump rejected the proposal, insisting Republicans remain in Washington and continue battling Democrats over DHS funding and the SAVE America Act.
Trump also took aim at a reported deal involving ICE funding, calling it "a Five Billion Dollar cut in ICE funding, a deal which, even when disguised as something else, is unacceptable to me and the American people – UNLESS it includes their approval of Voter I.D., (with picture!), Citizenship to Vote, No Mail-In Voting (with exceptions), All Paper Ballots, No Men In Women's Sports, and No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our precious children."
The SAVE America Act, backed by a wide swath of American voters, according to polling, includes a range of election integrity and conservative policy priorities, such as voter ID requirements, limits on mail-in voting, and citizenship verification for voting.
Trump also called on Thune to identify Republicans who oppose the measure.
"Let Leader Thune clearly identify those few 'Republicans' that are Voting against AMERICA. They will never be elected again!" he said.
He further pushed for aggressive action to break the stalemate, adding: "In other words, lump everything together as one, and VOTE!!! Kill the Filibuster, and stay in D.C. for Easter, if necessary."
Congress remains locked in a standoff over ending the Democrat-led government shutdown tied to funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the broader Homeland Security Department.
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