Moments after President Donald Trump tweeted that Democrats want to shut down the government, the House minority whip rejected that claim Thursday but said his party will not be held "hostage" on a crucial funding bill.
Congress is inching closer to a deal to avoid shutting down the government by late Friday.
"I talked with [House Majority Leader Kevin] McCarthy yesterday," No. 2 Democrat leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland told CNBC's "Squawk Box." "We want to cooperate, but we're not going to be put in hostage."
The budget conflict comes as Democrats raise concerns about Trump's plan to spend billions to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump indicated earlier this week he is willing to back away from his demand that the bill help
Many policymakers are nervous about a repeat of
—Reuters contributed to this report.