Trump intensifies border wall battle
President Donald Trump escalated the fight over his long-promised border wall yesterday, using a nationally televised Oval Office address to rally public support and blame Democrats for a partial government shutdown that is now in its third week.
Describing the situation at the border as a ‘‘growing humanitarian and security crisis,’’ Trump urged Congress to give him the $5.7 billion (NZ$8.5b) he has repeatedly demanded for the wall.
‘‘This is a humanitarian crisis – a crisis of the heart and a crisis of the soul,’’ Trump said. He added that the federal government ‘‘remains shut down for one reason and one reason only: because Democrats will not fund border security.’’
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered a brief joint response that was carried live by all the major television networks.
Democrats have steadfastly resisted Trump’s demand for wall funding, an impasse that has resulted in the shuttering of agencies that account for about a quarter of the federal workforce.
Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will attend Senate Republicans’ weekly policy luncheon on Capitol Hill today, the White House announced.
The eight congressional leaders, meanwhile, were expected to head back to the White House later in the afternoon to meet Trump and resume talks on ending the shutdown, according to several people familiar with the invitation.
Pelosi said that she was not aware of the White House’s invitation, but ‘‘whenever there is a meeting, I’ll go.’’
‘‘We have a pretty good idea of what our options are. But let’s hope we can come together, get this done and open up government. That’s our goal,’’ she said.
In a round of television interviews earlier, Pence did not rule out the possibility that Trump at some point would declare a national emergency, but said repeatedly that the administration is seeking a negotiated solution with Congress.
‘‘You know that we could resolve this in a matter of hours if the Democrats would come to the table and start negotiating in good faith,’’ Pence said on CBS’s This Morning.
Negotiations with congressional staff over the weekend, led by Pence, resulted in little progress, according to Democrats and Republicans alike.
Federal agencies continue to grapple with the effects of the shutdown. Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency notified employees that they will receive half their normal salaries on this week’s payday. The agency had remained open during the first week of the shutdown.
‘‘I want to make sure you all know that we sincerely miss our furloughed colleagues and the talent and expertise that each of you bring to the agency,’’ acting EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler wrote in an email to employees, adding that ‘‘understandably, many staff were concerned about the complete lack of another paycheque.’’ – Washington Post