Us politicians finally realise the benefits of compromise

With the US Congress reaching an ‘agreement in principle’ over immigration rules and funding for the border barrier along Mexico, fears of yet another government shutdown have died down, at least for the time being. Seventeen Republican and Democratic negotiators had been holding talks for the past few months to reach a border security agreement acceptable to the Congress. Failure to reach a consensus would have brought the government machinery to a grinding halt yet again with far reaching consequences. Congress’s refusal to sign off on a government spending plan for the president’s border wall had triggered a 35-day government shutdown from December 22, the longest of its kind in US history. The administration of US President Donald Trump, in reality, had held the government hostage with over 800,000 federal workers either furloughed or expected to work for free, with some of them having to turn to food banks for assistance. Politically, for over a month all other issues became secondary — Syria,

North Korea, the trade war with China, the economy, the unemployment rate, and racial problems. Everything faded into the background except Trump and his wall. As support in his own party began to fade, he had to surrender and declare a ceasefire on January 24 with no guarantee of wall funding.

The agreement reached on Monday, though tentative, is a victory for Congress. Just when it was believed that Congressional leaders were incapable of compromise, they came together in time to avert another showdown, proving that Trump’s arm-twisting tactics would not work. The $1.3 billion assigned for the ‘physical barriers’ along the border is a far cry from the $5.7 billion demanded by Trump. With the agreement not calling the ‘security system’ a wall, as the president had demanded, Congress has ensured it is not bowing to Trump’s wishes. Moreover, the deal which is sufficient to fund all government operations up to the end of September, potentially removes shutdown threats for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Politically, for over a month all other issues became secondary — Syria, North Korea, the trade war with China, the economy.