Since reopening the government Jan. 25, 72-year-old President Donald Trump warned House-Senate Conference Committee negotiators to give him $5.7 billion in border barrier funding or risk another government shutdown Feb. 15. Working feverishly to avoid another shutdown, House-Senate negotiators have allocated $1.6 billion in border barrier funding, far less than Trump’s demand but maybe enough to avoid a shutdown. Everyone knew going into the negotiations that Trump was ready to compromise, just not sure about the exact amount. With $1.6 billion looking like the number, roughly 30% of Trump’s demand, it looks more like Trump will go along with the final bargain. “That’s what we’re working toward,” said Rep. Lucile-Royball Allard (D-San Jose), optimistic that the committee will get far more than what’s promised by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Fran.).
When Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with Trump in the Oval Office Dec. 11, 2018. they laughed in Trump’s face about his demand for $5.7 billion. Pelosi said Jan. 5 she’d give Trump one dollar for his border wall, insisting there were better ways to provide border security than building a physical barrier. Pelosi an Schumer created so much bad –blood, Trump shutdown the government Dec. 22, 2018 for 35 days in the longest closure in U.S. history. As the Feb. 15 deadline approaches, Trump won’t make the same mistake twice, handing Pelosi and Schumer a political victory. Polls showed that voters blamed the president for the shutdown, despite the unwillingness of Pelosi and Schumer to negotiate. With the House-Senate Conference Committee busy at work, it looks like they’ll give Trump roughly 30% of his $5.7 billion demand.
Working to avert another government shutdown, the House-Senate Conference Committee defied Pelosi and Schumer, looking only for confrontation with Trump. While a small amount, the $1.6 billion slated for border security is far greater than anything offered by Pelosi and Schumer. Agreeing to not use the word “wall,” the House-Senate Conference Committee proved they could speak euphemistically about a border barrier or fence. “Throughout the talks, Democrats have insisted that a border security compromise not be overly reliant on physical barriers,” said Evan Hollander, spokesman for Democrats on the Committee. “We will not agree to $2 billion in funding for barriers,” said Hollander. Trump believes that physical barriers on the border are the most effective method of keeping out illegal aliens. Giving Trump anything for the border barrier was a major concession.
House-Senate negotiators look poised to give Trump money for more high-tech security and border personnel, in addition to the $1.6 billion in barrier funding. Trump ally Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said he’ll have to “wait-and-see” how things turn out. “I’m optimistic it’ll be something the president can support,” hoping he could still get Trump $2 billion in border barrier funding. Two billion isn’t that far off from where things stand today at $1.6 billion, looking like a government shutdown will be averted. Nothing in the final deal requires the Conference Committee to use the word “wall,” something Democrats find objectionable. With the government shutdown still fresh on people’s minds, no one wants to a repetition. House-Senate negotiators have done a better job compromising than Pelosi and Schumer.
For Pelosi and Schumer, resisting Trump became a rallying cry for the 2020 elections, with more-and-more Democrat candidates announcing daily. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) made it official today, announcing for president. Warren has faced a torrent of criticism for identifying herself in the past as an American Indian, when she has virtually no Native American heritage. Putting the negotiation into the hands of a House-Senate Conference Committee has enabled Trump to get at least some of border barrier funding. Democrats gave former President Barack Obama $25 billion to build out hundreds of miles of border fence, despite Pelosi saying a border wall was “immoral” Jan. 11. To Pelosi and Schumer, giving Trump anything is “immoral” because they demonize Trump as racist and homophobic, something Democrats plan to run on in the 2020 presidential campaign
Thanks to a House-Senate Conference Committee, Pelosi and Schumer won’t be able to push Trump to shut down the government again. Because they made political hay out of the last shutdown, they would actually prefer to push Trump to do it again. Putting the negotiation into more rational hands gave Trump 30% of what he wanted, better than nothing but enough to get some of the porous border barrier fixed. Sen Richard Shelby (R-Al.) confirmed he had a positive meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, optimistic that Trump would sign the new Continuing Budget Resolution [CBR] to refund the government. “The most positive meeting I’ve had in a long time,” Shelby said. Shelby believes Trump “would sign it,” giving the president $1.6 billion in border barrier funding and another $1.3 billion for electronic surveillance and more border security personnel.
