King: Nobody wants a government shutdown

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) said Sunday that no one on either side of the aisle in Congress wants to shut down the government, which will soon run out of funds.

“I don’t sense — nobody wants to shut down,” King told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

“I don’t sense that that is going to come, unless it’s through mutual misunderstanding between the two sides,” he said.

{mosads}King’s comments come after President Trump last week cast doubt on the possibility that Republicans and Democrats will reach a deal to keep the government funded.

“Meeting with ‘Chuck and Nancy’ today about keeping government open and working,” Trump wrote on Twitter, a move that ultimately caused Democratic leadership to back out of the planned gathering. He was referencing Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

“Problem is they want illegal immigrants flooding into our Country unchecked, are weak on Crime and want to substantially RAISE Taxes. I don’t see a deal!” Trump added.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that there will not be a government shutdown, arguing it would not be in Democrats’ best interest to push for one.

“I don’t think the Democrats would be very smart to say they want to shut down the government over a non-emergency that we can address any time between now and March,”  McConnell said, referencing a potential threat over action on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

“That’s a very untenable position,” he said.