President Donald Trump will be responsible for damage inflicted to the American economy, "the American people and to all those federal workers," if he cannot accept a bipartisan compromise, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., told CNN on Monday.
Democratic and Republican congressional leaders met earlier in the day to resume talks on border security funding, hoping to reach an agreement in order to avoid another partial government shutdown. Lawmakers need to come to an agreement by Friday.
Trump told reporters Monday it was "up to the Democrats" when asked whether the government was headed toward its second shutdown of the winter.
"It'll be either he'll accept the bipartisan compromise, the second one that has come about, or it will be at his doorstep, if he rejects it, we will be in the midst of another government shutdown simply because he is recalcitrant here," Menendez told CNN host Wolf Blitzer.
"I hope we all don't forget that the president's insistence here is about billions of dollars towards what is an even bigger figure – $20-25 billion, ultimately – to build a wall that he wants to build and ultimately that he said something Mexico would pay and Mexico has made it very clear they will.
"If he cannot accept a bipartisan compromise, which I believe can, in fact, ultimately take place, then he will be responsible for doing damage to the American economy, to the American people and to all of those federal workers," he added.
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