WASHINGTON -- With Congress on a collision course with a partial government shutdown, lawmakers have gone home for the weekend.

  • The president's demand for a border wall is one thing Congress is debating
  • Some say the wall is too expensive
  • Others say it is necessary for security 

At the center of the debate is the president’s long-promised border wall. Lawmakers like North Carolina’s Richard Hudson are pushing for the $5 billion requested by the president.

“It is an absolute national emergency,” the Republican congressman said about the border situation.

However, Democrats like congresswoman Alma Adams say that is too much money.

“There’s no problem with Democrats wanting border security, but he’s just intent on a wall,” Adams said. “We’ll leave that for humpty dumpty.”

Earlier this week, the president sparred with Democratic leaders in the oval office, putting on public display a mounting fight. During that meeting, with cameras rolling, the president said, “I am proud to shut down the government for border security.”

Complicating matters further is attendance on Capitol Hill. As this session winds down, some outgoing lawmakers are remaining home in their districts. That is making it difficult for House Republicans to get the votes they need for wall funding.

“We’ve got to get people to finish out the term,” said Rep. Ted Budd, (R-N.C.). “Yesterday, we had exactly three weeks and we need to run through tape, let’s act like we’re in the majority. Because we are in the majority until Jan. 3rd.”

Any government shutdown would be partial. Congress has already approved funding for many federal agencies.

As a result, Hudson says the impact of any shutdown in North Carolina will “certainly be less than previous shutdowns.”

“One of the biggest issues for me, representing Fort Bragg, is making sure our troops get paid. That’s taken care of, we passed the defense budget,” Hudson said.

Still, tens of thousands of federal employees stand to be temporarily furloughed if a budget deal is not reached.

The deadline to reach a budget deal is Friday, December 21. Already, lawmakers warn that they may need to be back in Washington between Christmas and the New Year to figure out a pathway forward.

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