BUDGET/CONGRESS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WALL: “U.S. President Donald Trump said he would ‘totally be willing’ to shut down the federal government unless Congress authorized $5 billion to fund his long-promised wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, according to a Politico interview published on Wednesday [11-28-18]. Trump also told the news outlet that the suggested $5 billion would pay for the physical barrier alone, and that additional funding would be needed for other border security measures. The president has not followed through on previous threats to shut down the U.S. government over funding for the border wall, a signature promise of his 2016 election campaign. But with his fellow Republicans set to lose control of the House of Representatives in January after the recent midterm elections, it is not clear if this time Trump will back down.”
–Susan Heavey, “Trump makes wall funding top issue as spending deadline looms,” Reuters, November 28, 2018 3:41 am