Some Senators have introduced legislation to prevent future shutdowns. They’d better hurry because another may be here in less than three weeks, once again thanks to border security disputes and reports that President Trump won’t agree to anything that Congress might negotiate.
The kickoff for the record 35-day shutdown that ended with a temporary funding agreement over the weekend was an impasse over money for a border wall. It was an all-or-nothing dispute in which Trump insisted on getting all of the $5.7 billion he said he needed and Democrats—who control the House and must agree to any funding.
And while there are attempts by a group of 17 members of Congress to find some sort of deal, Trump gave it a “less than 50-50” chance of success during an interview with the Wall Street Journal. One member of the congressional team working on a bilateral solution to the impasse, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), remains “optimistic.”
As before, a problem could come down to a lack of compromise and a desire for a complete win. “I doubt it” was Trump’s answer when asked if he would accept less than $5.7 billion. “I have to do it right,” he added.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) reiterated her position on Friday, The Hill reported: “Have I not been clear on a wall? I’ve been very clear on the wall.”
And Trump, to the Journal, said that he wanted a physical barrier and would be unlikely to trade something like a path to citizenship for so-called Dreamers, people who were brought into the country by their families at a young age.
Trump also said that another shutdown was “certainly an option.”