US President Donald Trump is frustrated by how slow the political process takes. Photo/AP
US President Donald Trump says the nation "needs a good shutdown in September" to fix a "mess" in the Senate.
The president said on Twitter that the US needs to "either elect more Republican Senators in 2018 or change the rules now to 51 (per cent)," suggesting more rules changes ahead in the Senate, according to news.com.au.
Senate Republicans recently triggered the "nuclear option" to eliminate the 60-vote filibuster threshold for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
That change allowed the Senate to hold a final vote to approve Gorsuch with a simple majority.
Trump's tweets come ahead of expected votes this week on a bipartisan budget deal to avoid a government shutdown and a possible vote in the House on a health care overhaul.
The measure will spare a damaging government shutdown, but it has left out many of Trump's biggest policy requests.
It does not include funding for the proposed US-Mexico border wall or include language stripping federal money from so-called sanctuary cities.
The White House also backed off from a threat to withhold ObamaCare subsidy payments to insurance companies.
Trump did secure increased military spending in the 2017 budget deal.
A government shutdown is not just a political headache but also impacts those who work in government departments or agencies.
Those employed in jobs ranging from National Parks to post offices are banned from working or receiving their pay during a shutdown.
Meanwhile, Trump touted the budget deal forged to fund the government through September, declaring: "This is what winning looks like."
Despite concessions on issues like border wall funding, Trump said at a US Air Force Academy Commander-in-Chief trophy presentation that: "Our Republican team had its own victory - under the radar."
He touted a "massive and badly needed" increase in military funding as well as additional money for border security.
He claimed that will serve as "a down payment" on his promised southern border wall - even though the deal does not fund new construction - and said the bill "is a clear win for the American people."
Several Assad allies, including Maher and Mamlouk, sought refuge in Russia and Lebanon.