President Donald Trump lays wreath at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
WASHINGTON – As the government shutdown passed its 31st day, President Donald Trump marked Monday's federal holiday with a wreath-laying at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
After he and Vice President Mike Pence stood for a moment of silence, Trump told reporters: "Good morning, everybody. Great day. Beautiful day. Thank you for being here. Appreciate it."
The visit lasted less than two minutes on a very cold day.
Trump said nothing about the partial government shutdown, two days after making a proposal that Democrats rejected as inadequate.
Unveiled during a nationally televised speech Saturday, Trump's plan included an offer of three years of legal status for certain migrants in exchange for funding of his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Democrats rejected the idea, in part because the proposal did not address a path to citizenship for migrants who include "Dreamers," people brought into country illegally as children by their parents.
Trump criticized the other party in a morning tweet: "Democrats campaigned on working within Washington and 'getting things done!' How is that working out?"
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he plans to move Trump's proposal through the Republican-run Senate; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said the Trump plan is a non-starter in the Democratic-run House.
"His proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives," Pelosi said, "each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: President Donald Trump lays wreath at Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
