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Sen. Bob Corker calls reasoning for government shutdown a 'made up fight'

Corker called the shutdown "a purposefully contrived fight," Sunday morning on CNN's State of the Union.

Outgoing Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker called Sunday the federal government shutdown an unnecessary action and a "made up fight" perpetrated by the president. 

"This is a purposefully contrived fight," Corker said on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday morning.

"At the end of the day, our borders will still be insecure. The president could have received $25 billion in (funding) in dealing with the DREAMers. Most Republicans want to deal with the DREAMers. This is a made up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting. Even if he wins our borders won't be secure." 

A short-term spending plan to keep a number of federal agencies open expired Friday at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Congress announced on Saturday that the government will remain closed until at least Dec. 27. Neither Corker nor U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander wanted to see the government shutdown.

Meanwhile, acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney told Fox News Sunday that the negotiations over the border and spending bill aren't going to move quickly.

Mulvaney said "there's a chance this could go into the next Congress," which begins Jan. 3.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced he wouldn't sign an agreement to keep a number of federal departments funded at their current levels through early February unless the spending bill included funding for the construction of a wall along the southern U.S. border.

The House last week passed a spending bill that included $5 billion for the wall, but the Senate was unable to reach an agreement. 

Corker went on to say that the reasoning for the shutdown was "juvenile."

"I want to see real border security and that’s why I am disappointed with this Congress," he said.

Corker on Syria: Trump knows he's 'made a mistake'

The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also told CNN he disagreed with the president's decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. 

Corker said the president canceled a meeting between them to discuss his decision.

"I think he knows he's made a mistake," Corker said. "But the president’s tendencies are to dig in and double down."

Corker cited Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis' resignation and that of Brett McGurk, the top U.S. envoy to the coalition fighting the Islamic State, in the wake of Trump's decision.

Corker said that the U.S. would have eventually left Syria at some point, but the timing was hard to understand.

"I have done as much as I can to point out all the problems," Corker said. "Now we are in something that’s incredibly sober. Somehow or another, I hope the president will see fit to make decisions that aren’t devastating to our country."

Corker served as mediator

With less than two weeks left in office, Corker, who did not seek re-election in November, has once again found himself at the center of a national story with the shutdown and his criticism of Trump.

On Friday, Corker said he likened conservative talk radio show hosts to tyrants for inciting harsh criticism of Congress and Trump over funding the border wall. 

And Corker tried to serve as bridge between Democrat and Republican factions during budget negotiations. He also met with Vice President Mike Pence and Mulvaney in an effort to make traction and avoid a shutdown. 

USA TODAY contributed to this report. 

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