This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Congressional leaders on Tuesday moved closer to a broad budget deal to avoid another government shutdown, while Donald Trump signaled he would welcome another lapse in funding if he does not get his way on immigration.

Speaking at the White House, Trump appeared to welcome a shutdown without Democrats yielding to his tough demands on immigration and billions in extra funding for border security. “I’d love to see a shutdown if we can’t get this stuff taken care of,” said Trump.

Timeline ​Donald Trump and Dreamers: a timeline of mixed messages​ Show Hide

Upon announcing his presidential bid Donald Trump makes hardline immigration reform central to his campaign and pledges to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca). “I will immediately terminate President Obama’s illegal executive order on immigration,” he says. Weeks after winning the White House, ​​President-elect Trump appears to soften his stance on Dreamers. Despite offering no specific policy he promises to “work something out”. “On a humanitarian basis it’s a very tough situation.” he tells T​​ime magazine. Trump acknowledges the fraught road to a solution, describing Daca as a “very difficult thing for me as I love these kids”. “I have to deal with a lot of politicians,” Trump says. “And I have to convince them that what I’m saying is right.” Trump abruptly announces ​​he will end Daca, phasing out applications for renewal by March 2018. ​​The president insists the decision provides a “window of opportunity for Congress to finally act”. Following talks with Democrats, Trump hints a deal may be close, but suggests it wouldn’t include a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. “We’re not looking at citizenship. We’re not looking at amnesty,” Trump tells reporters. Trump promises to “take the heat” for a bipartisan Daca bill being brokered by senators. But within days he revokes his support, calling the bipartisan plan “a big step backwards”.​ The US government shuts down after negotiations over the budget and a Dreamers solution collapse. On the same day a district judge rules the administration must keep the program open to new applications, a ruling that is later supported by other federal court decisions. With the government reopened with a temporary bill, Trump tells reporters he is now open to a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers “over a period of 10-12 years” if the individual “does a great job, they work hard​”. Trump appears to end the possibility of a bipartisan deal over Daca with a series of furious tweets on Easter Sunday. He blames Democrats and declares: "NO MORE DACA DEAL!" Oliver Laughland

“If we have to shut it down because the Democrats don’t want safety … let’s shut it down.”

Trump’s remarks came two days before government funding was set to expire on 8 February and as congressional leaders said they were making progress towards a broader deal that would not only keep the government open but roll back some previous limits imposed on government spending.

The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, said: “We’re on the way to getting an agreement and getting it very soon.”

The agreement would reportedly keep the government open for six weeks while allowing increased spending on domestic and military items. Defense hawks have long been pushing for an increase in defense spending; Democrats have repeatedly emphasized the need for increased spending on other government programs.

The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, echoed McConnell. “We’re making real progress on a spending deal that would increase the caps for both military and middle-class priorities on the domestic side,” he said.

Schumer declined to say if the increase in domestic spending would match the increase in defense spending. “We Democrats have always stood for parity, and are making very good progress in reaching parity,” he said.

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The potential budget deal would not address immigration and the fate of Dreamers who benefit from Deferred Action for Child Arrivals, the program that protects more than 700,000 young undocumented immigrants from the threat of deportation. Daca is due to expire on 5 March. The government shuttered briefly in January as Democrats attempted to push for a permanent fix to the program.

Instead, the plan now is for an open process on the Senate floor. McConnell said: “Once we have established the government is going to be open – which needs to happen by 8 February – we’ll then move forward with an immigration debate.”

He added: “I’m going to structure it in such way that it is fair to everyone … whoever gets to 60 votes wins.”

That vote had been promised in January as a concession by McConnell to end the shutdown then. Schumer said that he expected the process to begin next week.

Trump’s willingness to see a government shutdown was shrugged off by Schumer. In the room, Virginia Republican Barbara Comstock, who is facing a tough re-election in a swing district, rebuked Trump. “We don’t need a government shutdown on this,” Comstock, a two-term Republican, said.

Trump interrupted her and said: “You can say what you want. We are not getting support of the Democrats.”

On immigration, Trump later said: “I would shut it down over this issue. If we don’t straighten out our border, we don’t have a country. Without borders we don’t have a country. So would I shut it down over this issue? Yes.”