Tax Cuts, Border Wall, Government Shutdown – Why DC's in a Tizzy

The White House and Congress are trying to avoid a government shutdown this coming weekend, but now they're facing a roadblock.

That roadblock involves whether or not Congress will include funding for President Donald Trump's request for a border wall.

That request could throw a monkey wrench into this week's talks to meet the Friday night budget deadline.

President Trump's push to fund a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico has prompted a possible standoff between the Trump administration and lawmakers from both parties, but primarily Democrats, who oppose the wall.
  
"I don't think he said he was going to pass billions of dollars of cost of the wall on to the taxpayer," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

"To think that he would consider shutting down the government of the United States of America over this outlandish proposal of a border wall," Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said on CNN's "State of the Union."

"I think that's a fight worth having and a debate worth having for 2018...But we cannot shut down the government right now," said Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney says a government shutdown is not the desired goal.

"We want our priorities funded and one of the biggest priorities during the campaign was border security, keeping Americans safe. And part of that was a border wall," Mulvaney said on "Fox News Sunday."

There's more coming from the president this week as the White House is planning to release the outlines of his tax cut plan to boost the economy.

The moves come as a new ABC/Washington Post poll shows that President Trump has a 42 percent approval rating. That's the lowest of the last 13 presidents at this point in their administrations.

The poll wasn't all bad news for the president. It also showed that if the election were held today Donald Trump would still beat Hillary Clinton 43 to 40 percent in the popular vote. 
  
Trump responded to the poll on Twitter:

The two fake news polls released yesterday, ABC & NBC, while containing some very positive info, were totally wrong in General E. Watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2017

The Wall is a very important tool in stopping drugs from pouring into our country and poisoning our youth (and many others)! If

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 24, 2017

Polls aside, the president and congressional Republicans are going to be working hard this week to make sure the avoid a shutdown of the government.