Trump Plans to Renew Wall Demands With Incentives for Democrats
(Bloomberg) -- President Donald Trump major announcement on Saturday will include a proposal to extend protections for so-called Dreamers for three years, in exchange for $5.7 billion in funds for border security, said a person familiar with the proposal.
As well as protections for Dreamers, young people brought to the U.S. illegally as children, the plan would also extend the visas for Temporary Protection Status holders, though its unclear for how long.
Trumps concessions, expected to be outlined in a speech at 4 p.m. on Saturday, are aimed at getting Democrats back to the negotiating table in a bid to end a partial government shutdown now into its fifth week.
The proposals, similar to ones backed in the past by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and Dick Durbin of Illinois, the number two Senate Democrat, could be embraced by Democrats, though many want nothing short of citizenship for Dreamers and oppose a physical wall along the U.S.-Mexico border as an anti-immigrant symbol.
Any embrace of Trumps plan might therefore depend on how the measures are framed. Democratic lawmakers have said repeatedly that theyre in favor of stronger border security -- just not the concrete wall or steel fence that Trump has proposed.
Acrimonious Standoff
Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi entered a long holiday weekend with no sign their acrimonious standoff was any closer to an end. But as the pain of the shutdown grows daily, the pressure is on to find a solution.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Trump doubled down on his demand for a wall and Trump took a swipe at Pelosi as he prepared to board Marine One at the White House.
Shes being controlled by the radical left, Trump said, adding that he hopes shell come around to see everybody knows, that walls work.
The president also cited a new assemblage of migrants heading for the U.S. border as justification for a wall, and said hes disappointed that Mexico is not stopping them. The comment echoed one made earlier on Twitter.
Although Trump has hinted that he might declare a national emergency to bypass Congress and fund the wall if other options failed, he doesnt plan to do so on Saturday, a person familiar with the presidents thinking said on Friday.
The person wouldnt discuss what Trump plans to offer to the Democrats who now control the U.S. House, beyond saying that it may have something to do with immigration.
The Democrats, who have adamantly refused his demands for $5.7 billion for the wall, have called for protections for young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children and other immigration reforms.
Personal Clash
Trumps tweet late Friday previewing the announcement capped three days of dramatic twists in a clash between the president and the speaker -- second in line to the presidency behind Vice President Mike Pence -- thats become highly personal.
The president blocked Pelosi and a congressional delegation from visiting U.S. troops Afghanistan over the weekend, a day after she said he should postpone his Jan. 29 State of the Union address. On Friday, Pelosi abandoned an attempt to fly there on commercial flights, saying that administration leaks about the trip endangered the lives of the participants.
It was very irresponsible on the part of the president, Pelosi told reporters.
In canceling the military flight, Trump said he wanted her to remain in Washington to negotiate. But as of Friday, Pelosis office had received no White House invitation for further talks, even as Trump moved on other fronts, including scheduling a second summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the end of February.
Lengthy Impasse
The White House didnt respond to a request for comment on the possibility of Pelosi being invited for meetings over the weekend.
The dispute over the wall led to the impasse, which has closed nine government departments and dozens of agencies since Dec. 22. Democrats are trying to craft their own border security plan that doesnt include new wall funding, though the White House didnt indicate any softening of the presidents stance.
What really has to happen is Nancy Pelosi needs to come back to the White House or send others here who are actually willing to converse and negotiate and come up with the money for border security, Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said in an appearance on Fox Business Network. Our doors are open.
In Ankara, Turkey, Republican Senator Lindsay Graham of South Carolina predicted that the stalemate could be resolved soon, citing behind the scenes meetings hes had with Democrats and Vice President Michael Pence.
I believe there is a deal that can be reached fairly quickly, Graham told Bloomberg Saturday after meetings with Turkish leaders. I think this can be done in a couple of weeks, not a couple of months.
Democrats have rallied around the position that only after the government opens would they be willing to talk about increased border security. Republicans said Democrats would have to offer more than the $1.3 billion in border funds theyve already put on the table.
Pelosi said this week that her party is willing to talk about increased border security money but not to fulfill Trumps campaign promise to build a 2,000 mile wall.
In case I wasnt clear, 90 percent of the drugs coming into the country come through the ports of entry. Lets use resources to expand the ports of entry, she told reporters. This has to be evidence-based, not notion-mongered.
By presenting their own proposal, Democrats can inoculate themselves against charges by Trump and his supporters that theyre in favor of open borders.
Biden Weighs In
Weve got to say what were for, not just what were against, former Vice President Joe Biden, a potential challenger to Trump in 2020, said in an interview in Washington.
Pelosi, House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey of New York and Homeland Security subcommittee Chairwoman Lucille Roybal-Allard of California and their staffs are seeking to draft the plan by Tuesday.
A lot of members are asking what is our plan here, Roybal-Allard said. We are looking at all the options.
Roybal-Allard said that shed be looking at adding personnel, technology, and infrastructure at the border as well as securing ports of entry and funding more immigration judges to process backlogs of immigration cases.
Humanitarian aid for asylum-seekers and aid for Central American countries to encourage migrants to remain at home are also on the table, as is facilitating trade between the U.S. and Mexico.
Separately, Democrats are adding border provisions to a package of six bills funding other parts of the government and set for a vote next week. Totaling about $1 billion, half the money would be used to strengthen security at ports of entry and half to fund more immigration judges.
Developing a House plan could ease the concern of moderate Democrats that the party is not doing enough to try to resolve the impasse.
--With assistance from Jennifer Jacobs, Alyza Sebenius, Tamara Thueringer and Laura Curtis.
Poster Comment:
MAGA = Make Aztlan Great Again
The 2nd GOP amnesty. Is there any doubt that this will become permanent, they're never leaving?
#1: Vicomte13 To: hondo68 (#0)
I hope Trump proposes this.
I doubt Pelosi will take it. If she gives on the Wall and the money, Trump wins a huge victory.
Those of us who support Trump want that Wall. You are not a Trump supporter, Hondo. YOU oppose him no matter what. So YOU are going to scream that he surrendered, etc., if he makes this deal and gets the money for the Wall.
But as for me, a Trump supporter since the beginning, I will see that we have won the main battle: the Wall. I recall all the way back to the campaign Trump said the Dreamers were a special case and spoke of them with compassion. YOU may not have the compassion he and I do, but you were never with us in the first place.
If Trump makes this deal, he will have the strong support of those of us who supported him. And you NeverTrumpers will find something to carp about no matter what. You may as well be Democrats.
Vicomte13 posted on 2019-01-19 13:33:08 Reply Private Reply
#2: Hondo68 To: Vicomte13 (#1)
Regular illegal alien invaders. The law requires that they be deported, not given amnesty.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-19 13:35:19 Reply Private Reply
#3: GrandIsland To: hondo68 (#0)
They’ve never “been leaving”, asshole. Since you’ve been flapping you’re Paultard shitflaps, they’ve been ARRIVING, by the millions. Never once, did anyone you voted for, do a mother fucking thing to stop this invasion or build a fucking wall. So STFU.
GrandIsland posted on 2019-01-19 13:44:47 Reply Private Reply
#4: Pinguinite To: hondo68 (#2)
The reality is that the bulk of them are simply never going to leave, regardless of who is president or what the laws are or might be in the future. And it's actually kind of like gun control. The only dreamers that would accept deportation are the ones that are otherwise law abiding people. The drug & human smugglers & criminals will make themselves the hardest to find.
Dreamers are not a problem that Trump created. It's been created by many decades of illegal immigration and lax enforcement on the part of both R and D presidents going back to at least Reagan if not to Nixen, Ford & Carter.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-01-19 13:49:12 Reply Private Reply
#5: Hondo68 To: Pinguinite, Make Aztlan Great Again (#4)
It's looking like Trump has the same re-election strategy as dubya.
2004 GOP Presidential Campaign
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-19 14:00:31 Reply Private Reply
#6: Hondo68 To: GrandIsland, *The Two Parties ARE the Same* (#3)
Thank you for admitting that Donnell is a fraud and a liar.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-19 14:03:43 Reply Private Reply
#7: misterwhite To: hondo68 (#0)
Hah! The only thing this does is set a new starting point for negotiations. The Democrats should be the ones asking for concessions in exchange for the $5.7 billion.
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-19 14:48:38 Reply Private Reply
#8: Pinguinite To: misterwhite (#7)
Except there's nothing they want. The D's don't care about the dreamers. It works best for the D's to keep the dreamers on the edge of hope, because once they get citizenship or whatever, they lose dreamer support. Until then, the dreamers are in the D camps.
The singular goal of the D's is to create and fling as much crap at Trump as possible, in the hopes that some of it will stick.
Pinguinite posted on 2019-01-19 15:03:34 Reply Private Reply
#9: GrandIsland To: hondo68 (#6)
They’ve been growing in numbers before you were banned by the wheelchair RINO, dumb shit. It’s got nothing to do with Trump for the exception of, Trump will be the first president to win and lose a presidency over border security.
Your choices have done SHIT, to send one dessert potato home.
GrandIsland posted on 2019-01-19 16:18:34 Reply Private Reply
#10: Hondo68 To: GrandIsland (#9)
I've personally given them a boot in the ass, into the BP paddy wagon.
Spent years on the border as a minuteman. Very proud to have made the SPLC hate watch list.
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-19 16:49:49 Reply Private Reply
#11: Hondo68 To: Urgent Action, Amnesty, *The Two Parties ARE the Same* (#0)
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-19 19:10:10 Reply Private Reply
#12: misterwhite To: Pinguinite (#8)
They used to … until a federal judge stopped Dreamer deportation. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to overturn that decision, but won't hear the case for another 10 months.
When it is overturned, then the Democrats will demand Trump strike a deal and stop deporting them.
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-20 10:42:52 Reply Private Reply
#13: misterwhite To: hondo68 (#0)
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-21 08:35:54 Reply Private Reply
#14: misterwhite To: hondo68 (#0)
misterwhite posted on 2019-01-21 13:10:30 Reply Private Reply
#15: Hondo68 To: misterwhite, *Border Invasion* (#13)
Follow the link at the top, and you get the same headline that I posted. Were you born this stupid, or did it take years of hard work to get there?
Trump refuses to obey his oath of office, and instead of deporting the illegal alien invaders gives them sanctuary until they commit a felony.
Open Borders, is the Grand Old Party tradition of the Reconquista Republicans.
The 1st Reconquista Republican amnesty...
Hondo68 posted on 2019-01-21 13:26:35 Reply Private Reply