Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he doubts there’ll be a government shutdown before Christmas, and he played coy about the U. S. approach to China in a major national security speech coming Monday.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said he doubts there’ll be a government shutdown before Christmas, and he played coy about the U. S. approach to China in a major national security speech coming Monday.
“I can’t rule it out, but I can’t imagine it occurring,” Mnuchin said of a potential federal shutdown on “Fox News Sunday,” one of three appearances on Sunday talk shows.
If there’s no budget deal by Friday, Congress would have to pass its second short-term extension this month to keep the federal government running, Mnuchin said. “I just can’t imagine sending government workers home for Christmas. I hope Congress gets this done.”
Mnuchin wouldn’t provide specifics about Trump’s national security speech scheduled for Monday — including whether the president will call out China for engaging in “economic aggression,” as the Financial Times has reported, or whether the administration plans new tariffs on imports from China.
“I have been working with the president on it,” Mnuchin said. “I was with the president and vice president at dinner last night at Camp David, and he’s excited to give the speech tomorrow. This isn’t about trade wars, this is about reciprocal fair trade.
