Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that he will make a “major” announcement Saturday about the border and the ongoing partial government shutdown.
“I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border, and the Shutdown, tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon at 3 p.m., live from the White House,” Trump said in a tweet late Friday night.
The President did not provide any further details on what he would discuss on what is set to be the 28th day of the partial government shutdown, reports CNBC News.
The White House press team offered no further guidance to the media when asked about the President’s tweet.
The shutdown began December 22, 2018, after Trump refused to sign a funding bill because it did not include money to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.
The Democrats, who now control the House of Representatives, have said they are willing to provide money for border security, including repairs and improvements to existing fences, but will not fund construction of a new barrier.
Ten government departments are affected by the shutdown and some 800,000 federal workers are either furloughed or working without pay.
Trump has suggested declaring a national emergency to allow the reassignment of Pentagon funds to pay for the wall, though he says that he would prefer to avoid such a step.
The President’s announcement comes a day after he postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned overseas trip with other members of Congress to visit US troops in Afghanistan, shortly before they were scheduled to depart on a military plane.
He cited the shutdown for the cancellation.
Trump has also called off sending his delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland next week, “out of consideration” of the 800,000 workers not receiving pay because of the shutdown.
Wednesday, Pelosi sent Trump a letter, urging him to either reschedule his upcoming State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress or deliver it in writing because of the shutdown.
IANS