Trump signals he’ll sign border deal
WASHINGTON – The House will vote Thursday on a border security bill designed to prevent another government shutdown as President Donald Trump sent signals he is willing to sign the deal while seeking other sources of money for his border wall.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced the timing of the vote during a news conference Wednesday. “The overwhelming majority of the House Democratic Caucus will support this legislation,” Jeffries said.
Trump said he wants to see the final bill before deciding whether to sign it. But he stressed that he wants to avoid another government shutdown.
“We haven’t gotten it yet,” he said of the proposal. “We’ll be getting it, and we’ll be looking for land mines” in the legislative text.
Trump said “points were made” during the historic 35-day government shutdown that ended last month, but emphasized he doesn’t want to see another one. “A shutdown would be a terrible thing,” he said.
On Tuesday, just hours after saying he was not “thrilled” with the new proposal, Trump struck a more positive tone about the plan even though it includes much less wall funding than he has demanded.
Saying he discussed the issues with Sen. Richard Shelby, R-ala., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Trump said the new congressional plan would be “hooked up with lots of money from other sources.” Trump claimed he could get up to $23 billion for his wall, but did not specify where that money might come from.
“We have options that most people don’t understand,” Trump said Wednesday.
On Monday, congressional negotiators announced an agreement “in principle” that includes $1.375 billion for a border barrier, much less than the $5.7 billion Trump has demanded.
While meeting Tuesday with his Cabinet, Trump said, “I’m not happy” with the congressional agreement. He then appeared to reference an idea floated by acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and other officials: moving existing money from other accounts to fund walls, fences or other sorts of barriers.
“We’re supplementing things and moving things around,” Trump said, adding that his team is “taking from far less – really, from far less important areas.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell, R-KY., said the Senate could vote “in short order” on the tentative proposal and urged Trump to sign it. He did not say when the Senate vote would occur.
Though the agreement doesn’t have everything Trump wants, “I think he’s got a pretty good deal here,” Mcconnell said. “I hope he’ll decide to sign it.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the agreement represents “a path forward for our country” and would help avoid “another round of fraught negotiations” as lawmakers rush to beat Friday’s fastapproaching deadline.
“Please, Mr. President,” Schumer said. “Sign it, and don’t cause a shutdown.”