DEMOCRATS HAVE PLAN TO END US SHUTDOWN, BUT NO WALL FUNDS
▶ The text does not include financing for the US-Mexican border barrier demanded by Mr Trump
Democratic politicians unveiled plans to end the partial shutdown of the US administration by examining and voting on a bill authorising government spending as soon as they take control of the House of Representatives tomorrow.
But the bill’s future looks to be in doubt. The text does not include funding for the US-Mexican border wall sought by President Donald Trump to halt illegal immigration.
In a tweet taunting them for their refusal to fund the border fence, the Republican said: “The Democrats will probably submit a bill, being cute as always, which gives everything away but gives nothing to border security, namely the wall.
“You see, without the wall there can be no border security. The tech stuff is just, by comparison, meaningless bells an whistles.”
Mr Trump also repeated his claim, still without evidence, that Mexico was paying for the wall through the new trade deal between it, Canada and the US.
“I’m in the Oval Office. Democrats, come back from vacation now and give us the votes necessary for border security, including the wall,” Mr Trump tweeted.
Congress is in recess for the New Year holiday but will reopen tomorrow, while Mr Trump has stayed in the White House, shelving his vacation to his Florida golf resort.
To retaliate over the Democrats’ refusal to fund the wall, he is refusing to sign a wider spending package. That has resulted in parts of the federal government being shut down over the Christmas and New Year holidays, and for the foreseeable future.
The stand-off has turned into a test of strength between Mr Trump and the Democrats, who will enter the new Congress this month as the majority in the House of Representatives, after a victory in the November midterm elections.
The president says a wall is needed along the whole border to keep out migrants who are trying to enter the country illegally, calling them an invasion force of dangerous criminals.
On Monday, he called the border “an open wound” where drugs, criminals including human traffickers, and illegal migrants would pour into the country.
Democrats say the wall idea, one of the president’s key election campaign platforms, is a distraction from more complicated immigration problems and a tool for Mr Trump to whip up support among his conservative base.
Democrats plan to put the ball back in Mr Trump’s court immediately tomorrow by passing the general spending bill that would allow the government to reopen fully, but would not include extra money to build the wall.
They are proposing to pass administrative budgets that are not controversial lasting until September 30, while only financing the budget of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees border security, until February 8.
The budget extension “would allow time for President Trump to reach agreement with Congress on border security,” the Democrats said.
Similar proposals were passed by the Republican-controlled Senate in recent days, until the president suddenly withdrew his support. Those texts did not reach the House.
“It would be the height of irresponsibility and political cynicism for Senate Republicans to now reject the same legislation they have already supported,” Democratic leaders said.
“Once the Senate passes this legislation and puts us on a path to reopening government, the president must come to his senses and immediately sign it into law.”
The bill will go from the Democratic-controlled House to the Republican-held Senate and from there, it would need Mr Trump’s signature.
If he refused, Democrats would have ammunition to accuse him of being irresponsible over the shutdown.
Politicians of the current Congress are expected to meet one last time today, before the new session begins tomorrow.
Senators are set to consider a bill passed by the House that provides $5 billion (Dh18.3bn) in funding for the wall. But the text has no chance of passing the Senate.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he would wait until he is certain to have a bill in hand that would pass both houses and receive Mr Trump’s support before submitting it to a vote, a possibility that seems all too distant.
Congress is in recess for the New Year holiday but will reopen tomorrow