Democrats in Washington have sunk to a new low. They should be focusing on an immediate response to an immediate need. Instead they use this crisis to kick Americans when they are down.
President Trump, in a two hour press conference yesterday, expressed frustration at Senate Democrats. The President said that they had an agreement but Democrats wanted to tack on provisions totally unrelated to the immediate need. Continue reading
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Friday afternoon, President Trump announced that he would sign a bill to fund the government for three more weeks and end the government shutdown. He accepted the Democrat proposal to first open the government and then they will discuss the President’s request for border security.
It was evident on the President’s face that this was not something he wanted to do. He knew that the headlines would be, “Trump Caves.”
President Trump did not cave. He compromised. There is a big difference.
A cave is when one party gives in without fighting to win on their position. They may talk a great deal but do not put up a fight because they never intended to put up a fight.
A compromise on the other hand is when both parties come to an agreement to resolve an issue. Both parties come out of the deal with something and both parties give up something.
President Trump’s position was to fund the government and include border security provisions with physical barriers, commonly referred to as a wall. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer said, no wall.
Both made small concessions along the way. Trump’s recommendation changed from wall to steel slats that allowed border guards to see through to the other side. He later threw in provisions to address the issue of children who had been brought to the United States illegally by their parents.
Pelosi and Schumer softened their position from “no wall” to a short term bill of a few weeks to open the government. During that period, they assured the President that there would be serious and meaningful bi-partisan discussions to fund border security.
The President had serious reservations about Democrats actually operating in good faith. He did not want to play the role of Charlie Brown to have Lucy (Pelosi and Schumer) snatch the football away again.
President Trump knew that the shutdown was putting a financial strain on impacted federal employees. The strain was showing, particularly in air travel.
During the shutdown, President Trump has been talking with members of Congress. Some meetings were well publicized while many were out of the limelight.
His statement below summarizes the spirit of the compromise.
After 36 days of spirited debate and dialogue, I have seen and heard from enough Democrats and Republicans that they are willing to put partisanship aside, I think, and put the security of the American people first. I do believe they are going to do that.
They have said they are for complete border security and they have finally and fully acknowledged that having barriers, fences, or walls or whatever you want to call it, will be an important part of the solution. A bipartisan conference committee of House and Senate lawmakers and leaders will immediately begin reviewing the requests of our homeland security experts, and experts they are, and also law enforcement professionals who have worked with us so closely.
The key in this statement is the agreement to have a bipartisan conference committee. A conference committee is generally formed after the House and Senate pass a bill with slight differences. The conference committee meets to work out the differences and present the same bill to both chambers for final approval.
The bipartisan makeup of the committee means that Democrats and Republicans will both be at the same table talking with each other. They will not be talking at each other via 30 second sound bites.
The address was originally scheduled for 1:00 pm last Friday. It was almost 2:30 before the President spoke. That delay indicates that he was working on this address, probably making phone calls, and finalizing agreements up until the last minute.
President Trump wanted a bill that included funding for a wall. He believed that he could strike some agreement to get it done.
Democrat leadership refused to talk. As time went on, the focus of attention turned more and more to the impact of the government shutdown and away from the crisis at the border.
The President decided to eat humble pie. He agreed to the appeals he was hearing from both sides to open the government. The compromise agreement is in the best interest of all Americans.
President Trump displayed leadership in fighting for his position. He displayed leadership by taking action to move the issue forward. He displayed statesmanship by putting trust in both parties to work together on a conference committee in good faith.
President Trump kept his part of the agreement. Within hours of giving his address, the President signed the bill to give full back pay and put federal workers back to work.
Furloughed federal workers are no longer an issue. Now, the issue is solely on border security and funding a wall to address the crisis on our Southern border.
The President recognizes the process that the Founding Fathers built into our constitutional government. Technically, the President could declare a national emergency and act unilaterally.
He believes that Congress should recognize the crisis at the Southern Border. They should acknowledge the crisis by funding border security.
The President has done his part. Now, it is in the hands of Congress. President Trump did not cave. He compromised. There is a big difference.
by Peanuts is an American classic. One of the ordeals for Charlie Brown is his repeated misplaced trust in Lucy holding the football for kickoff.
Time after time, Lucy assures Charlie that she will hold the football. Charlie hesitates because she always pulls the football away.
Finally, Charlie again trusts Lucy and races forward to kick the ball. At the last split second, Lucy snatches the ball out of the way. Charlie flips backwards through the air, landing on his back with a thud.
In some ways this is a good analogy of what is going on between the Democrats and President Trump in the government shutdown.
The latest proposals from the Democrats provide for opening the government for two or three weeks. During the two or three weeks, the Democrats promise that they will make an honest and diligent effort to consider the President’s request for border security.
Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, called on the President to postpone his State of the Union address. It is scheduled for January 29. She wants him to wait until the government is reopened.
She also suggested that he deliver it in writing rather than a televised address to the American people. Her request is understandable given her poor performance with Chuck Schumer in their response to President Trump’s Whitehouse address on border security.
So far, the President is not buying it. He is standing firm.
Democrats are playing the role of Lucy. They promise that if President Trump will sign a bill to fund the government for just two or three weeks, they can work things out.
The script assures us that Charlie Brown will finally trust Lucy. There is a big difference this time. President Trump is not Charlie Brown.
by Thank you for your stand on securing our nation’s border. If I depended on the main stream media, I could start to think that I am the only person who supports you. I am not.
Given the media propaganda, I think that it is appropriate to let you know that I hear and understand what you are saying.
Americans from all walks of life, all races, nationalities, socioeconomic classes, and educational levels, hear and understanding what you are saying. It would not surprise me to learn that even some who vote Democrat hear and understand what you are saying.
You made it clear that we need stronger border security. You even sent a tweet referring to the border security structure as steel slats.
I appreciate the picture you attached. It is simple and shows what we need at certain places on the border.
Whether we call it a wall or steel slats, it functions to protect and secure our borders. That is your mission.
On December 11, 2018, Nancy Pelosi told you that there were not enough votes in the House, even with a Republican majority, to fund the wall. Nine days later the House of Representatives passed a bill by a vote of 217-185 which included $5 billion to build a wall.
That bill never made it to a vote in the Senate. Chuck Schumer and Democrats used their power to filibuster to keep Senators from voting it up or down.
Schumer and Democrats said that the wall funding bill, as passed by the House, would not pass the Senate. Obviously they did not believe what they were saying or they would have allowed an up or down vote.
No one claims that we do not need border security. No one disputes that there are some bad characters attempting to enter our nation illegally. No one disagrees that the Executive branch has the responsibility to protect our nation and her borders.
Our Border Patrol agents face danger on a daily basis. They clearly can do their jobs more effectively, and with less danger in areas with a strong physical border.
Democrats and the mainstream media have made this entire escapade like a preschool playground argument that wants to keep little Johnny from winning a game. (My apologies to preschoolers who may be insulted by the analogy).
Mr. President, I hear you. I appreciate your stand. I support you fully.
History reveals the hypocrisy of Chuck Schumer. He voted for the Secure Fence Act in 2006. So, what has changed?
We elected you to be our President. That is what has changed.
Thank you, Mr. President, for standing for America.
Sincerely,
by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer met with President Trump to talk about the budget. They got a couple of surprises in the meeting.
The President had press in the room with the cameras rolling. He made introductory remarks about positive legislation such as Criminal Justice Reform that had support of Republicans and Democrats alike.
He also gave a status on several areas where portions of the border wall were complete. Illegal traffic into the United States was down where the wall was in place.
San Diego dropped 92%. El Paso dropped 75% and then when the wall was up, dropped 95%. Tucsan dropped 92%. Yuma dropped 96%. President Trump pointed out that the only reason it was not 100% was because illegal entrants would go to the unfinished areas and go around.
Normally after a few introductory remarks, the President would excuse the press and continue with a private meeting. This time he did not do that. The cameras kept rolling.
Like a pit bull with a bone, President Trump hunkered down on his position. He made it clear to Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer that border security was non-negotiable.
Nancy Pelosi realized what was going on. She complained that it was unfortunate that the cameras were rolling. Pelosi said, “We came in here in good faith and we are entering into this discussion in the public view.”
President Trump simply replied, “It’s called transparency.”
Both Pelosi and Schumer insisted that they did not want to have a government shutdown. Schumer said that President Trump had called 20 times to shut down the government.
In the past, Republicans have recoiled in fear and retreated when Democrats threaten a government shutdown. Pelosi and Schumer got an unexpected response.
President Trump did not recoil and retreat. On the contrary, he picked up the gauntlet and ferociously charged ahead. When Schumer said that President Trump would be responsible if there was a shut down, President Trump boldly took ownership and leadership.
I’ll take it. You know what I will say? Yes. If we don’t get what we want one way or the other, whether it’s through you, through a military, through anything you want to call, I will shut down the government. And I am proud.
I’ll tell you what, I am proud to shut down the government for border security, Chuck. Because the people of this country don’t want criminals and people that have lots of problems and drugs pouring into our country.
So, I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down. I’m not going to blame you for it. The last time you shut it down it didn’t work. I will take the mantle for shutting it down and I will shut it down for border security.
President Trump drew a line in the sand. Republicans in the House and Senate need to stand up with him. The American people are standing with him.
The only ones who are not standing with him are the mainstream media and some Democrats in Congress. This time they will be the ones who make the compromise.
by Congress failed to send a bill to the President to continue funding the government. As a result, President Trump directed an orderly shut down process to begin at midnight, January 19, 2018.
Senate rules allow a minority of Senators to block action on a bill. Republicans hold a slim 51 to 49 majority in the Senate. When Democrats filibuster (which they did) Republicans need at least 9 Democrat votes to allow a vote on the bill.
Five Democrats voted to proceed with voting along with 45 Republicans. Five Republicans including McConnell voted NO on the motion to proceed. McConnell voted NO so that he could move to reconsider.
I watched the Senate proceedings. Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell spoke with clear common sense about the failure of the Senate to pass a continuing resolution to fund the government.
There was very little controversy over the content of the resolution. McConnell noted that the shutdown was 100% avoidable and pointedly said, “Democrats chose to filibuster a non-controversial funding bill that contains nothing, not a thing, that they do not support.”
That raises a rather obvious question. What is the problem? The problem is that Democrats decided to insert a completely separate issue into the resolution. McConnell put it best, “There is only one reason we ended up here; the shoehorning of illegal immigration into this debate.”
Cut through all the hype and it comes down to one simple issue. Democrats put the interests of illegal immigrants above the interests of Americans.
The issue they shoehorned into this debate has nothing to do with funding the government. Republicans in the Senate should stand together and refuse to yield to this blatant extortion.
The American people clearly see Schumer’s priorities.They see where they stand in relation to illegal immigrants.
Senator McConnell is to be commended for his leadership thus far. Schumer’s Shutdown does not just put Americans in the back of the bus. Schumer’s Shutdown kicks Americans under the bus.
Democrat Senators need to make the wise decision to put America first. Put an end to this hypocritical smokescreen charade and let the Senate vote on the Continuing Resolution.
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