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April 21, 2017 at 10:44 AM
(Bloomberg) — The White House ordered federal agencies Friday to begin preparations for a potential partial government shutdown after signaling President Donald Trump would demand money for key priorities in legislation to continue funding the government beyond April 29.
But the president and his aides expressed confidence that Congress would work out a spending agreement and that there won’t be any halt in government operations. Administration officials portrayed the order as normal contingency planning, stressing that the previous administration had followed the same practice as funding deadlines approached.
(Related: Government Shutdown Is Logical But Not Likely)
“I think we’re in good shape” on avoiding a deadlock on maintaining funding, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer said the administration is “confident” because negotiations are ongoing and “no one wants a shutdown.”
The push to reach an agreement on spending is complicated by White House efforts to try again for a House vote on changing the Affordable Care Act next week, crowding the congressional schedule with two politically thorny measures the same week.
House approval of an ACA change bill would give the president a legislative victory to boast about before his 100th day in office April 29. But failure to reach an agreement on spending legislation would risk marring the anniversary with a government shutdown.
