Some congressional allies of Donald Trump are giving the president cover as a government shutdown enters its third full week, contending that only Democratic lawmakers can turn on the federal lights.

Trump ended last week by threatening to continue firing federal workers and “closing up” programs valued by Democrats, showing no urgency to reopen the government. Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus have accused Trump of overstepping during the shutdown, blaming him for triggering it.

Trump’s Republican allies on Capitol Hill, however, shrugged off questions about whether he needed to engage with Democratic leaders to find a way out of the shutdown wilderness.

“It’s not his decision. It’s Congress’ decision. It’s our decision whether we pass budgets, not pass budgets,” Florida Sen. R

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