DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (AP) — Pushing the government to the brink of a partial shutdown, the White House is insisting that Congress provide $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border despite lawmaker resistance from both parties.
Without a resolution, parts of the federal government will shut down at midnight Friday.
President Donald Trump kept up the pressure on Democrats Monday, tweeting: “Time for us to save billions of dollars a year and have, at the same time, far greater safety and control!”
On Sunday, White House senior adviser Stephen Miller said, “We’re going to do whatever is necessary to build the border wall to stop this ongoing crisis of illegal immigration.”
Asked if that meant having a government shutdown, he said, “If it comes to it, absolutely.”
Trump said last week he would be “proud” to have a shutdown to get Congress to approve a $5 billion down payment to fulfill his campaign promise to build a border wall. But the president doesn’t have the votes from the Republican-controlled Congress to support funding for the wall at that level.
Both major political parties in Congress have suggested that Trump would likely need to make the next move to resolve the impasse. The House is taking an extended weekend break, returning Wednesday night. The Senate returns Monday after a three-day absence.
22, 2018 | Associated Press photo by J. Scott Applewhite, St. George News
The Democratic congressional leaders, Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, have proposed no more than $1.6 billion, as outlined in a bipartisan Senate bill. The money would not go for the wall but for fencing upgrades and other border security. Democrats also offered to simply keep funding at its current level: $1.3 billion.
Showing no signs of budging, Schumer said Sunday that it was up to Trump to decide whether the federal government will partially shut down, sending thousands of federal employees home without pay during the holidays.
About one-quarter of the government would be affected, including the departments of Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture, State and Justice, as well as national parks. The U.S. Postal Service, busy delivering packages for the holiday season, wouldn’t be affected by any government shutdown because it’s an independent agency.
“He is not going to get the wall in any form,” Schumer said.
Trump had neither accepted nor rejected the Democrats’ proposal as of Friday, according to the Democrats, telling them he would take a look. Trump will need Democratic votes either way, now or in the new year, for passage.
Trump, during his 2016 presidential campaign, promised that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico refused.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Republican in the Senate, said Republicans remain hopeful they can come up with a proposal that can be acceptable to Trump and pass both chambers. He suggested that could take the form of a stopgap bill that extends funding until January or a longer-term bill that includes money for border security.
“There are a lot of things you need to do with border security,” he said. “One is a physical barrier but also the technology, the manpower, the enforcement, all of those things, and our current laws are in some ways an incentive for people to come to this country illegally, and they go through great risk and possibly great harm.”
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged senators to revisit a bill she helped push earlier this year that would provide $2.5 billion for border security, including physical barriers as well as technology and border patrol agents.
Schumer declined to say whether Democrats would be willing to consider proposals other than the two options that he and Pelosi offered.
Republicans “should join us in one of these two proposals, which would get more than enough votes passed and avoid a shutdown,” Schumer said. “Then, if the president wants to debate the wall next year, he can. I don’t think he’ll get it. But he shouldn’t use innocent workers as hostage for his temper tantrum.”
Miller and Barrasso spoke on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Schumer appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and Collins was on ABC’s “This Week.”
Written by HOPE YEN, The Associated Press.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
So, shut it down.
Take it to them Mr President!
This is beyond ridiculous. President man-child throws a temper tantrum because he can’t get his 5 billion dollar binky.
That wall isn’t going to happen. Not only because Dems oppose it but people in Trump’s own party oppose it.
HE CAN’T EVEN MUSTER UP THE VOTES FROM REPUBLICANS. What a sad joke.
And his supporters somehow think this is going to be a good thing for America. The onus for this debacle, should it happen, will lie squarely with Trump and the GOP. Who in their right mind voted for this crap? You ought to have your heads examined.
But… he’s winning. Right, Trumpeez? He’s such a stable genius. Only hires the “best” people. Right?
This man has absolutely NO CLUE how to run a country and I dare say he isn’t qualified to run a third-rate lemonade stand.
Clown Show Incorporated.
Shut it down. The govt does more harm than good.
Shut it down. By the way, 70 percent of it remains running (mail, military, etc) and many are ready to vacation over Christmas anyway. I don’t think the timing is accidental.
Can you support the 70% claim? Never seen a % that high. And don’t forget those thst are furloughed don’t get paid until the shutdown is over. So its an unexpected, unpaid vacation. Not exactly sustainable for most Americans.
I think the pay for those still required to work is also delayed, including military, but I’m not as positive about that.
Go Trump! Even if he does not get the wall, at least he is trying! Build that wall! Build that wall!
has to be a troll
Yes you are a troll.
Screw Trump. Hes a lying, cheating, crooked Russian troll. Impeach and imprison.
Trump was elected by the people who are concerned with the heavy influx of people who enter our country illegally. We have an estimated 12 million illegals in the States. Consider one cost: If one-third of the illegals are in our schools, that’s about 4 million getting free education off taxpayer money. The average cost of education for a child is $7000. that would create a 28 billion dollar cost for us, just for the education part. We also provide meals for those economically disadvantaged, so that would add a considerable amount just to feed the children, who most likely fall into the category for free meals at school.
Add to those costs the finances needed to provide medical help at emergency rooms, who are not allowed to turn anyone away despite ability to pay. Add to that benefits going to those who have been able to have “anchor babies,” thus necessitating welfare and other aid to those children; it is estimated that the majority of illegal families have been here a decade or more, so they would have added many children as citizens who could rake in enough to provide sufficient coverage for all members of the families.
I am all for helping those seeking and needing asylum, but there are ways we can help without bringing the people into our country, where they disappear into hidden pockets all over the US and drain our economy. Even if our government does not wish to spend money for a wall, it could start providing ways to help those in need before they ever reach our borders.
Well said. When it’s all said and done, at the end of the day, that “cheap fruit” aint so cheap. I guess it’s basically subsidized by the massive welfare programs to illegals and their citizen “anchor baby” children. I’m not a huge fan of the term ‘anchor baby’, but really, I’m not sure how else to describe the phenomenon.
How about simply birthright citizenship?
First, most don’t get “free” education. They contribute taxes in several ways, especially rent. Property tax, a common way to fund education, is worked into “market rent”. The owners may be paying it in name but the renters are paying it in reality. So your $28 billion loss is an absolute fabrication.
Do you have figures to support your claims about medical debt, welfare use, etc? Please provide it if you do as your claim has no substance at the moment.
Trump promised a wall, paid for by Mexico. Keep both promises or neither.
If they started a Gofundme account to help pay for the wall, I would GLADLY contribute!
Shut it down. Let’s get a wall built. Rule of law TRUMPS all folks – that ones for Redbud. It is the absolute first step in immigration reform. Otherwise, might as well invite China & Indonesia (2 of the most overpopulated countries on the planet) to send their excess population to America. Same thing as Central America. Sovereignty to liberals is a thought crime, there are no borders just talking points.
Can you show me were liberal Americans by and large don’t understand and respect the concept of sovereignty? I’ll give you a definition:
Sovereignty: (noun) “the authority of a state to govern itself or another state”
Bikeandfish, I’ll give you an example, it’s called California. If the lawmakers there could take away everyone’s freedom, they would do it. They recently came up with a brilliant plan to tax Californians for each text message they sent. They might as well start taxing the very air they breath. It’s ok though because California will continue on its path to self destruction, and there won’t be anyone to save them as it breaks off and falls helplessly into the sea.
That had absolutely nothing to do with national sovereignty per Kilroy’s statement.
California.
5th largest economy in the world.
Could easily leave the US and be its own independent country.
Leads the nation in lawmaking and reform. The old saying, “as California goes, so goes the country” probably drives folks like you nuts. Why? Because it’s true. California eats people like you.
If California became it’s own country, that would be wonderful. Build a fence around the whole state and let them kill each other, let them suffer. You obviously believe all the fake liberal hype on CNN if you think California is leading the way on anything. They might be doing ok with their budget right now, but it’s the calm before the storm and great despair.
You really don’t know much about California or how nations actually work. Do you?
Shut it the Hell down…the damn illegals cost us Millions upon Millions each year here in Utah alone
Please provide examples to back your baseless assertions. We’ll all wait.
You and B&F want examples as if this needs proof. REALLY? Yes, your responses proves EXACTLY WHAT I SAID AS A CONCLUSION TO MY ORIGINAL COMMENT. For liberals it is all about talking points, not reality. I could spend 20 posts going back and forth i.e. B&F (back & forth) and get lost in intellectual tripe, as every time you put reality on the table, he shifts the paradigm and does not give a direct response . He retreats when challenged and goes on a tangent. YOU, frozen veggie just go into insult mode. Same behavior as many partisan liberals that get interviewed from time to time by Tucker on Fox. They dodge and throw up smokescreens when cornered by the truth or blatant reality… Our previous prop 2 exchange after all the facts came out, proved this was the case, and yet he (B&F) could only admit his point was irrelevant at a later time as it had nothing to do with the final outcome whatsoever. You, Frozen Veggie, on the other hand, dont deserve a response as anybody who disagrees with you, even when done with respect the other day, is a troll and gets insulted as a result. Youre a windmill, a lot if air whirling around, and let the Don Quojotes of this world engage your partizan ranting. No, kind fellow commentors , proof is in the pudding, and if B&F cared about the truth, well he would have spent 1 min looking up mayoral salaries the other day. 2 pundits, one an intellectual, who writes dissertations with a string of 10+ comments and hyperlinks to partisan sources, the other a ranting one track mind that treats people as if they are made of cardboard. Good luck. Read my comments or not, and if you need proof, know it will never be good enough. Lol. Enjoy the holidays.
It is true, B&F is in love with illegal immigration for some reason. I would also highly avoid discussing “gender politics” with him, as he refuses to be honest in how he discusses it. He uses traps and trickery and double standards in much of his discussion.
Now you just are a liar. Show me one example of how I have said I “love” illegal immigration. Just one.
And too funny that I actually provide emperical evidence to support biological claims about gender while you spout pseudscience but somehow I’m the one that uses “traps and trickery and double standards”.
I’m thinking logical, rational analysis supported with sources is “traps and trickery” to you.
Now you’re just being emotional. Making stuff up as you go along to support your views doesn’t count as “logical, rational analysis”
You claim to be some kind of biologist but then spout off with a bunch of pseudoscience garbage politicized sources on sex and gender.
So are you for or against illegal immigration?
Too funny. You have embraced lying and aren’t worth interacting with anymore. You have never provided empirical source for your claims. I have provided reliable sources time and time again.
To answer your question: I support our sovereign right to define and control immigration. We differ on how that should be done and I don’t believe in fear mongering based on racist stereotypes. I believe we have multiple options for dealing with illegal immigrants and our history shows we have a range of executive discretion on the subject. I believe illegal immigrants convicted of violent crime should be dealth with seriously. I believe illegal immigrants that qualify for asylum should be vetted and dealt with humanely and justly.
You deal in empty tropes and racist rhetoric. Facts rarely support your exaggerated claims. And when shown that you resort to ridiculous claims like being too “emotional”. I’ll continue to call out your utter BS for what it is but solely for others as you exhibit no willingness to engage in logical dialogue. Best of luck.
Thank you, Killjoy, for proving that NONE OF YOU on the right has the cajones to back up your baseless assertions with anything other than conjecture and BS straight from the Fox fear factory. Be proud.
I agree with you about Kilroy this time. Supporting your claims when challenged is a foundational part of logic based dialoug. Kilroy clearly believes baselessly attacking others is a better response; its a sign of not having a valid argument.
I’m still laughing at the irony that because I trusted his claims about local government pay is some indication of my failure to value truth. The only way that logically works is if Kilroy knowingly lied and even then its a statement about himself, not me. Cracks me up.
Comment is currently doing the same thing. Except he’s just parroting an “I know you are but what am I” inversion of truth. But I guess that’s not a shock coming from someone who believes eugenics is a science and an important one at that. Or that biology supports the idea that sex and gender is binary or that sources with well-established genotypic and phenotypic evidence of non-binary sex are somehow partisan psuedoscience. It would be funny if its wasn’t an accurate reflection of scientific illiteracy in this country.
Odd comment. So now trusting your original statement on another thread makes me suspect?
“he shifts the paradigm and does not give a direct response”
The irony.
The wall would stem the tide of illegal crossings and I see nothing wrong with that. Our House and Senate can’t seem to function because they are in the resist Trump mode. This has been going on for two years! Trump should shut government down and make the House and Senate do the jobs they were elected to do! 30% would be affected and they would receive vouchers. Vouchers are used as a promise by Feds to pay and people could use them as cash, that happened when California shut down onetime. Shutting government down isn’t that big a deal.
In a way, Mexico is paying the price for not stopping the caravans as they crossed into their country. Now, 6,000 people are camped in Tijuana as they wait for interviews to determine why they are coming to the USA, i.e. valid claims. Some of the illegals staying in Tijuana are breaking into private homes and doing other criminal activity. Mexico is already paying the price.
We are also paying costs as taxpayers. As noted, costs for health, safety, welfare, and education. As a Public Health Nurse in Central California, I witnessed the impact illegal immigration had on that state. I was there in the 80’s after Regan allowed the illegals to apply for amnesty. I saw Orange County employees lose their retirements and the county collapse because of mismanagement as well as the increased public health needs of those who came illegally. California was a wonderful state at one time, but soon slipped more and more into “haves” and “have nots” as middle class moved out of state to avoid the increase in gang activity and to have a better lifestyle. We had our home burglarized 3 times by Hispanics with some gang affiliations. We moved to Utah.
Another effect of illegals crossing in to America related to the environment of the beautiful Sonoran Dessert, between Ajo and Yuma. Here is an article that will better exlplain: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1297518020/ref=ox_sc_act_image_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
Shutting down the government is a huge deal for the employees. About half the employees are furloughed without pay. Do you know what its like to live without pay, especially over the holiday season?
The rest work without pay, including essential military personnel. Does that seem appropriate?
And then major organizations are in limbo during critical times. Department of Homeland Security isn’t deemed essential. That’s not exactly consistent with Trump’s concern about the “border crisis”, is it? How about Department of Transportation being shuttered during peak holiday traffic.
And the Congress’s job is to debate and create legislation they deem appropriate. There is a reason they (explicitly originating in the House) control the budget and not the President. They are doing their job and came up with a budget/CR Trump refuses to accept. Its not their job to provide everything the President demands. Its their job to check and balance him if they deem his requests inappropriate.
Plus, two years of obstruction isn’t unusual. You do remember how Congress obstructed Obama, correct? It’s the new norm and both parties use it when they are the minority.
It’s all too ironic given Trump’s claim to the bestest deal maker ever and betting much of his campaign promises on such bravado. Trump hasn’t remotely tried to work across the aisle. He operates solely on bluster. That is what we get when our country elects a reality tv star brand who claims he created his own (questionable) wealth with a “small” million dollar loan from his extremely wealthy family.
I’m sorry I’m going to put another link on that will lead you to where the story is about the Arizona border with Mexico and the effects of illegal immigration on the environment.
https://cis.org/Sussis/Trash-Border-Highlights-Environmental-Cost-Illegal-Immigration
Really sad reading these insane comments. “Them immigrints is bad… border wall goooood.”
You people clamoring for a border wall will never get the satisfaction you seek. No matter how much you’re TOLD it will work. Keep clutching those straws while your president goes down like a schoolyard bully who picked the wrong fight.
Looks like the angry white fascist is having death throes.
Shut it down.
The President was voted in with over 300 electoral votes. We voted for a wall. Just because one of the blue states has 40 million people, doesnt mean they are the only voice.
Shut it down
Build the wall
Q
He may have won the electoral college but he got his backside handed to him in the popular vote. He LOST by upwards of 3 million votes. And aren’t you going to tell me all about how many of those votes were illegal? Even though there is ZERO evidence to back it up? You voted to further divide America. If you want to shut down the gov’t, you are unpatriotic to your core.
Maybe you should move to a fascist country?
Me and you are divided right now and I feel ok about it
Like, I am really okay with being divided from you. I actually do not want to unite with you.
Merry Christmas!
Jesus is the reason for the season
I wasn’t asking you to “unite” and, as far as I’m concerned, your opinion doesn’t matter.
The President doesn’t control the budget, the House primarily does. And the House is to the popular vote as the senate is to the electoral college l.