Meeting again in the Situation Room today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader (D-N.Y.) told President Donald Trump they will not give him money for his border wall. Trump asked Pelosi directly if he ended the shutdown and reopened the government, would she agree to more funds for border security in 30 days. Pelosi told Trump, “No.” Instead of debating the merits of Trump’s border wall, Democrats and Republicans should negotiate in good faith. If you listen to Pelosi and Schumer today, it’s all Trump’s fault for shutting down the government. Trump offered several proposals to Democrats to end the government shutdown, including changing the wall from concrete to steel-slats and reducing his demand for $5.6 billion to roughly half. Yet Pelosi and Schumer so far have refused to negotiate anything with Trump.
Speaking after the Situation Room meeting today, Vice President Mike Pence told the press that Trump didn’t bolt out of the meeting, he simply ended it and walked away when Pelosi said she would give him nothing for his border barrier. Not one reporter after the meeting asked Pelosi and Schumer why they refuse to negotiate with Trump. Pence emphasized that Trump was willing to stand on his head to get a deal with Pelosi and Schumer if they were willing to negotiate. “We unfortunately, the president just got up and walked out. He asked Speaker Pelosi, ‘Will you agree to may wall?’ She said ‘no.’ And he just got up and said, ‘Then we have nothing to discuss,’ And he just walked out,’” Schumer told reporters. What Schumer didn’t say was that Trump looked for any willingness of Democrats to negotiate at all. When Pelosi said “no,” Trump said what’s the point of talking.
When it comes to the government shutdown, Pelosi and Schumer insist that Trump must open up the government first before any discussion about border security. Yet, Pelosi told Trump that even if he signed the Continuing Budget Resolution to reopen the government, she would not fund his border barrier. Negotiations between coequal branches of government is a two-way street, requiring both sides to give a little. So far, Pelosi and Schumer have given nothing, leading to the current impasse. Pelosi and Schumer don’t want to admit that they’re partially responsible for the government shutdown, showing an unwillingness to negotiate with the president. No matter how much they disagree with Trump’s approach to border security or how much they quibble over the definition of a wall or a fence, there’s no excuse for not negotiating in good faith with Trump.
Pelosi and Schumer can state for the record they disagree with Trump’s approach to border security, including building out more steel-slat fence. Calling the border barrier “immoral” tells the real story about Pelosi, who’s more interested in politics than reopening the government. Unlike Pelosi and Schumer, Trump is non-ideological, only concerned about securing funding to build out his border barrier. Pelosi and Schumer accused Trump of being “insensitive” to federal workers no longer getting their paychecks because of the partial shutdown. Yet Pelosi and Schumer know that some simple negotiation with Trump would end the government shutdown, getting 800,000 federal employees back to work. Dragging on for 19 days, the shutdown now approaches the longest government closure in U.S. history. Pelosi and Schumer know they could end the shutdown within minutes.
Sooner or later, the 800,000 government workers will turn on Pelosi and Schumer for not negotiating in good faith with Trump. It’s not about whether they think Trump’s border wall is a waste of money, it’s about compromising to end the government shutdown. Giving Trump roughly $2 billion is well worth the price to reopen the government, whether they like Trump’s border wall or not. “I you don’t understand financial insecurity, then you would have a policy that takes pride in saying ‘I’m going to keep the government shut down for months or years unless you totally agree with my position,” Pelosi said. Pelosi takes no responsibility for keeping the government shutdown by refusing to negotiate in good faith. It’s not about whether she likes or hates Trump’s border wall policy. It’s about negotiating in good faith to end the government shutdown.
If Pelosi and Schumer were really concerned about federal workers, they’d hold-their-noses and negotiate with Trump in good faith. Trump’s made clear he expects good faith negotiation that would end the impasse immediately. Instead of trying to make Trump look bad, Democrats should rethink their decision to not negotiate with Trump in good faith. If federal workers don’t get their checks, it’s only a matter of time before they blame Democrats and Republicans for the shutdown. Instead playing politics, Pelosi and Schumer should negotiate in good faith with Trump to end the government shutdown, even if they think Trump’s border wall is a bone-headed policy. Failing to negotiate with Trump is no excuse, when the shutdown could be ended by a few billion dollars. If Pelosi and Schumer really care about federal workers, they’d negotiate in good faith and end the shutdown.
