Seizing the political leverage on the Dec. 22, 2018 government shutdown, 72-year-old President Donald Trump spoke to the nation today from the White House diplomatic room. Trump proposed legislation in the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate to offer a temporary fix on DACA [Deferred Action Childhood Arrivals], the 2012 program started by former President Barack Obama, to allow children of illegal immigrants to stay in the country without fear of deportation. Trump cancelled the DACA program Sept. 5, 2017, throwing the matter into the courts. When the San Francisco-based 9th Circuit Court issued a stay Nov. 8, 2018 on Trump’s order to end DACA, the program was left in limbo. Trump decision today to continue DACA with liberal extensions gives Democrats the potential for eventual comprehensive immigration reform they’ve sought for years.
Since the Dec. 22, 2018 government shutdown, Democrats led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), have refused to negotiate with Trump on his demand for $5.7 billion in border wall and security funding needed to protect U.S. national security. Pelosi called the border wall “immoral” Jan. 3, despite giving Obama $25 billion to build out 700 miles of border fence. Obama said exactly the same thing as Trump about the need for border security and to help stop illegal immigration across the U.S.-Mexican border. Trump’s proposal today is designed to pressure Pelosi to get back to the table, after refusing to bargain on anything unless Trump agrees to sign the Continuing Budget Resolution [CBR] to reopen the government. When Pelosi and Schumer met with Trump Dec. 11, 2018 to avoid a government shutdown, they laughed in his face.
When Pelosi an Schumer returned to the Oval Office Jan. 11, they told Trump he would not receive one dollar for his border barrier, whether or not he reopened the government. Trump ended the meeting and walked out after Pelosi insisted he wouldn’t get a red nickel for his border wall. Today’s impasse has left 800,000 federal workers in limbo, half receiving no paychecks, half furloughed. Trump’s offer today was already met with rejection by Pelosi, saying the president’s proposal was a nonstarter. “I am here today to break the logjam and provide Congress with a path forward to end the government shutdown and solve the crisis along the southern border,” Trump said. What’s different this time around is that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is committed to urgently complete the legislation to reopen the government as soon as possible.
Calling Trump’s proposal “unacceptable,” Pelosi already rejected Trump’s proposal to reopen the government. Pelosi wants Trump to reopen government and negotiate later, despite telling him Jan. 11 that he would get no money for his border wall with-or-without opening the government. Pelosi said Trump’s proposal did not “represent a good-faith effort to restore certainty to peoples’ lives,” meaning, Trump must reopen the government without negotiation. When McConnell gets Trump’s new legislation passed through the Senate next week, it’s going to apply maximum pressure on her and Schumer to reopen the government. Yesterday’s bombshell report by BuzzFeed and refutation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller changes the political calculus for Democrats going forward. It looks more likely that Trump will survive Mueller’s final report to the Attorney General.
Pelosi and Schumer refused to deal with Trump in good faith because they looked forward to impeaching Trump with Mueller’s final report. Yesterday’s action by the Special Counsel upends the Democrat and media narrative that Trump was guilty of Russian collusion. If Trump remains in office to finish out his first term, Pelosi and Schumer will be forced to recognize him as commander-in-chief. When Trump blocked Pelosi’s use of a Pentagon jet for a Mideast trip, Trump was serious about keeping her in the country to negotiate and end to the government shutdown. Pelosi and Schumer hoped to milk polls showing the public blames Trump for the government shutdown. When McConnell’s legislation comes out the Senate next week, the ball will be in Pelosi’s court to end the government shutdown. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Il.), No. 2 Democrat, rejected Trump’s proposal, insisting the government be opened first.
Whatever happens to McConnell’s legislation the Senate, Pelosi must go back to the bargaining table without preconditions. Setting the precondition of reopening the government is no way to negotiate, especially on Trump’s modest request for border barrier and security funds. When you consider Pelosi’s refusal to negotiate with Trump, it breaches her duty as a coequal branch of government to negotiate with the executive branch in good faith. Pelosi refuses to recognize Trump’s power under Article 2 to request funds when it comes to U.S. national security. Whatever the disagreements, Pelosi’s still obligated to recognize Trump as commander-in-chief. If she continues to stonewall, Trump will have no choice but to use his Article 2 powers to obtain his border barrier funding. There’s simply no excuse any longer not to give a little and reopen the federal government.
