By Jeff Zeleny
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President Donald Trump hailed the expected reopening of the federal government on Monday and said the shutdown’s end means talks on immigration can proceed.
“I am pleased that Democrats in Congress have come to their senses and are now willing to fund our great military, border patrol, first responders and insurance for vulnerable children,” Trump said in a statement that was read from the briefing room podium by his press secretary Sarah Sanders.
“As I have always said, once the government is funded my administration will work toward solving the problem of very unfair illegal immigration,” the statement continued. “We will make a long-term deal on immigration if and only if it is good for our country.”
Earlier, a White House official said Trump planned to publicly tout the end of the government shutdown, despite being publicly absent from the debate over the weekend.
Trump spent the morning in the residence of the White House, following coverage of the shutdown and speaking with Republican leaders on the phone, a senior administration official said. One aide described him as “restless” — after spending a rare weekend entirely at the White House.
Over the weekend, Trump spoke with Republicans and a laundry list of informal advisers. He told some of his aides that he’d like to be more involved in the negotiations, but he was told it was more prudent for lawmakers to strike a deal among themselves.
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