By Vivian Salama and Kristina Peterson 

WASHINGTON -- President Trump sparred in public with top Congressional Democrats on Tuesday, declaring he would shut down the U.S. government if the Congress doesn't fund his proposed border wall, an indication that negotiations over a year-end spending bill would continue without an imminent resolution.

Mr. Trump's willingness to assume responsibility for a partial government shutdown defied congressional Republicans' intention to blame the Democrats if it happens. A physical wall at the border with Mexico, a central item in the president's agenda and rallying-cry for his base, has emerged as the biggest sticking point in the negotiations.

"If we don't get what we want one way or another, whether it's through you, through the military, through whatever you want to call, I will shut down the government," Mr. Trump told House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) in the Oval Office.

"I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck."

In what were intended to be perfunctory public remarks during otherwise private negotiations over a year-end spending bill, Mr. Trump said he wouldn't accept any spending proposal that doesn't guarantee "good border security." He said he was willing to accept responsibility for another government shutdown if proposals do not meet his expectations.

"We need border security," Mr. Trump said. "The wall is part of border security. You can't have border security without a wall."

Mr. Schumer called a proposed wall "wasteful," arguing that lawmakers can guarantee border security without it and that shutting down the government over the issue is negligent.

"We do not want to shut down the government," Mr. Schumer said, as the exchange grew heated. "We want to come to an agreement. If we don't come to an agreement, we have solutions that will pass the house and Senate right now and will not shut down the government. That's what we are urging you to do."

Mrs. Pelosi, who is the Democrats' nominee for speaker of the House when the Democrats take the majority in January, repeatedly urged the president not to debate this contentious issue in front of the media.

"It is unfortunate" to have this debate publicly, Mrs. Pelosi said, adding, "we can here in good faith."

Last Thursday, Congress passed a two-week spending bill to avoid a partial shutdown over the weekend.

House Republicans included $5 billion for the border wall in their Homeland Security spending bill, but the full House hasn't voted on that bill, raising questions about whether House GOP leaders have enough support to pass a bill with $5 billion in wall funding.

On Tuesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) said the House didn't want to vote on something that stood no chance of passing the Senate.

"It takes 60 votes to pass anything in the Senate. That is why the president is directly engaging in negotiations with the Democratic leaders. We want to pass what the Senate can pass and the president supports, but as you know this takes 60 votes," Mr. Ryan said.

Both Mr. Schumer and Mrs. Pelosi have said they are opposed to funding for a physical wall. Mr. Schumer has said that Senate Democrats support $1.6 billion for border security.

House Republicans are considering trying to pass a short-term spending patch this week that would include funding for the border wall, according to aides. But even if it passes the House, where it would face opposition from Democrats and potentially from centrist Republicans, it will be unlikely to advance in the Senate.

Spending bills need 60 votes to clear procedural hurdles in the Senate, where Republicans currently hold only 51 seats.

Speaking to reporters outside the White House following their meeting, Mr. Schumer said they offered the president two ways to avoid a shutdown: either pass six other spending bills agreed to by Republicans and Democrats and do a one-year extension of the Homeland Security bill, or do a one-year continuing resolution for all seven remaining spending bills.

"We gave the president two ways, each of which will get a majority in the House and 60 votes in the Senate and will avoid a shutdown," Mr. Schumer said. "We hope he'll take it because a shutdown hurts too many innocent people."

Write to Vivian Salama at vivian.salama@wsj.com and Kristina Peterson at kristina.peterson@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 11, 2018 13:36 ET (18:36 GMT)

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