CONGRESS/ELECTION/SPENDING/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “President Donald Trump complained Thursday [9-20-18] morning about the ‘ridiculous spending bill’ making its way through Congress, demanding answers on funding for his long-promised border wall but stopping short of calling for a government shutdown before this fall’s midterm elections…The president has complained loudly and regularly throughout his first two years in office about the government appropriation process, specifically about a lack of funding for border security measures, including a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. He has urged Congress to reinstate a line-item veto that would allow him to reject specific portions of a measure without vetoing a piece of legislation entirely. Trump has threatened in recent weeks to force a government shutdown over border security funding before this November’s midterm elections, a move top Republican in Congress have cautioned him against, warning that it could create additional headwinds for GOP candidates already expected to face an uphill battle. The president has also urged the Senate to do away with its legislative filibuster rule, a step Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said unequivocally that he will not take.”
–Hugh T. Ferguson, “As Congress works on appropriations, Trump asks ‘where is the money for Border Security and the WALL’,” Politico, September 20, 2018 9:20 am