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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.Wary of shutdown, Trump inches toward support for funding deal
By Richard Cowan and Steve Holland WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
66 Comments
David Varnes
Again, let's point out (since there will be the twisters and spinners here soon enough saying otherwise):
In December, the House passed a $1.6B border security bill that stipulated 65 miles of upgraded or new fencing, money for new technology, and more. No wall.
Trump shut down the government, demanding more, and for 5 weeks threw the longest, most epic tantrum in modern Presidential history.
Now, the compromise deal is for $1.3B, for 55 miles of new or upgraded fencing, and no wall.
Great job, Mr. Art Of The Deal. You cost the US Economy billions of dollars, damaged your party and your own standing, and ended up getting $300 million less than was originally promised you.
With negotiation skills like that... no wonder you declared bankruptcy so many times.
CrazyJoe
Democrats: "Here's $25 billion."
Trump: "No."
Democrats: "How about $1.37 billion?"
Trump: "Well, ok."
Strangerland
The ineptitude is mind-boggling.
SimondB
But the Republican president fell short of committing himself to backing the congressional deal.....
.....because I need to check in with Anne and Sean first.
Blacklabel
It’s no win with liberals. If he signs it you mock him and if he doesn’t you complain. It’s all noise by now on the way to re-election. Every poll since SOTU is 44% or higher.
Strangerland
The damned if you do, damned if you don't strategy, perfected by Republicans during the Obama administration, replicated by Democrats during Trump's.
Nope.
David Varnes
Because he didn't 'win.' If anything, he 'lost' $300 million dollars off of his focus.
And before anyone can claim he'll just declare an emergency and take the money anyway, there's already a slew of groups and people ready (including Congress itself) that are more than ready to stop that particular power grab.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
Lol! 44% and a booming economy? That's like, almost 50%! Very inpressive! ;)
Strangerland
I'm hoping he will. That will be as unpopular with the independents as the shutdown was.
lincolnman
Liberals mocking him? I guess Coulter, Hannity, Dobbs, the House Freedom Caucus, etc., are all Liberals then, huh?
In every poll his disapproval is far higher than his approval...
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/trump_favorableunfavorable-5493.html
...and the only place he's on his way to is the slammer...
This is how you spell delusional...
PTownsend
'liberal' has a different connotation in Trump's and Putin's silos (shared?).
To them it means 'someone who might question them', aka 'enemy'.
Trump backers have shown zero beliefs beyond 'Trump said it, I agree'.
Haaa Nemui
Coincidentally, the number 44 came to my attention in another article yesterday. Out of 45 presidents ranked from best performing to worst performing... That's where Trump came. Are you sure you weren't reading the same thing?
Wolfpack
Meanwhile the national debt is up to $22 TRILLION! No cuts to any spending despite record money pouring into the federal government. Of course the $5.6 billion for building the wall/barrier as recommended by the border control experts is minuscule in comparison.
The only way to make a difference in the built-in $1 trillion per year budget deficits would require tax reform that eliminates all loopholes and deductions in conjunction with huge cuts in the growth of entitlement programs. And of course, no new huge “Green New Deal” style social programs that will just add to the built-in annual deficits like Obamacare.
How much longer will the US continue Obama’s $1 trillion per year budget overspending? Can go on forever.
Laguna
McConnell bringing the bill to a vote means Trump has certainly conveyed to him that he'll sign it. Trump's coyness is too cute. The question is if and how he'll follow though on ripping funds for the wall from other government projects.
Blacklabel
That was done impressive triggering. Trump got elected with lower polls then he has now.
Blacklabel
I wish liberals could learn the difference between useless mockery and legitimate concern that our country isn’t getting what we need to protect our country and defend our borders.
Thats what conservatives who are speaking out are expressing. Concern for our country.
David Varnes
You do realize that during the last two years of Obama's term, the yearly budget debt was plummeting? It's Trump's tax cut that's pushed the budget deficit up to $1T a year again.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
No he didn't.
And how do you know liberals aren't concerned for the country? I believe Trump is an icompetent moron and that the wall is an unncessary vanity project. If it was important, members or congress representing border districts would support Trump's wall. And none of them do.
Haaa Nemui
Found it again.
I guess this will be removed shortly but hey if you see it before that time then enjoy!
https://thestacker.com/stories/2474/experts-rank-best-us-presidents-all-time
bass4funk
Funny, Nancy just voted for 55 miles of “racist and immoral” how is she going to spin to her constituents she cav.....I mean, compromised?
Haaa Nemui
She doesn't have to spin anything. Her constituents are smart enough to realize what ACTUALLY happened.
Deadforgood
Lets take a minute and stop using the word "cave" and look at the facts.
Trumps approval rating (based on rasmussen who constantly gives him a generous number) was 55% at the beginning of his term, dropped to 50% now.
He was offered 1.6 billion for border security, he's about to sign a deal for 1.4 billion now.
Pelosi didn't give Trump his wall. She agreed to 55 miles worth of funding for replacement/new fencing. Trump was asking for 2,000 miles worth of concrete pillars. Pretty big difference.
The 1 trillion a year plus deficit is back on track, and the middle class is being asked to pay more on their tax refunds (Trump said they would get money back).
I don't think Trump caved, I think Trump failed the country, and then some. I think he's set up the country to hurt a lot more than it was for a while.
SuperLib
It's easy. Trump signs the document that Pelosi puts in front of him.
Then Trump tweets that the 55 miles of fence is the greatest thing any president has ever done. Then his fans go out into the world and say that Trump just did the greatest thing any President has ever done.
Those of us rooted in reality have a good laugh, then we all move on with our lives.
lincolnman
Well, let's see, have we seen any liberal media folks call Nancy a "lunatic", "lazy", "incompetent", "pathetic", "a caver" if she accepted this deal? Have any conservative media folks said that about Trump?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/02/12/key-shutdown-deal-whip-count-how-conservative-media-is-voting/?utm_term=.24388d4fe90c
If you want to see what "failing" and "caving" is, read David Varnes 07:13 post above...
Jimizo
So you think both Pelosi and Trump “cav...I mean, compromised?”
Serrano
Democrats: "How about $1.37 billion?"
Omg, what a cave. Pelosi had said one dollar.
Funny, Nancy just voted for 55 miles of “racist and immoral” how is she going to spin to her constituents she cav.....I mean, compromised?
The anti-Trumpers can't tell you how she's going to spin that. All they can do is thumb-down you, lol.
Trust our president. He is a master at chess.
takeda.shingen.1991@gmail.com
Totally, cuz shutting the government down for 35 days only to get less money than what was originally offered is pure brilliance.
Reminds me of the scene in Austin Powers where Dr. Evil asks, "Why make trillions, when we could make....trillions?"
"Why settle for $5 billion when I could settle for $1.37 billion?" Pure brilliance, Donny's going to talk the Democrats down to $0 by the time its all done.
bass4funk
You can’t spin the facts, both caved, both compromised and both got something, and not everything, it’s just tat simple.
But it’s something, first it was a dollar and that would have gotten you a pebble.
Semantics really, the end result is, he got money. Trump is not going to use that money to decorate the WH, so he will use that for....wait for it.....to hold a wall.
I disagree, he did what he could, the Dems tried their best to stick it to him and it didn’t quite work out like that. Now I’m not saying it was a clear win, it wasn’t. But again, it’s better than nothing and at least now he has some wriggle room to work with.
David Varnes
Right now, comparing the bills, Pelosi's at -$299,999,999 or so. She hasn't given, she's taken away, and all Donnie can do is fume and like it.
bass4funk
No, he never said that, he’s just happy it’s something, that’s what a compromise is supposed to do.
No one I know said such a thing. Turn off CNN from time to time. It’s all done and we wait for the next move Trump will make to get additional money. Personally, I like the Ted Cruz proposal.
David Varnes
He didn't get money, he got LESS money than he was originally offered. Only the blindest of partisans could see a man given an offer, reject it, make a complete and utter fool of himself for 35 days, and agree to a new offer with less than he was originally offered... and take that as 'semantics' that he won.
lincolnman
Trump: "I want $5.7 billion"....Nope, you'll be $1.37b....
Trump: "I want a wall".....Nope, you'll get a fence....
Trump: "I want it for 2000 miles".....Nope, you'll get it for 55....
A Master at losing....just ask Ann Coulter...
In December, the House passed a $1.6B border security bill that stipulated 65 miles of upgraded or new fencing, money for new technology, and more. No wall.
Trump shut down the government, demanding more, and for 5 weeks threw the longest, most epic tantrum in modern Presidential history.
Now, the compromise deal is for $1.3B, for 55 miles of new or upgraded fencing, and no wall.
Come on Trumpers - explain to us Liberals how going from $1.6 billion and 65 miles in Dec, to $1.37 billion and 55 miles in Feb is anything but a fail and a loss....less money, less fence...
We'll be waiting...
plasticmonkey
And if Trump ends up not signing the bill, you'll switch to Coulter and Hannity's side and call the legislation "garbage".
Haaa Nemui
Trump walked away from a MUCH better deal and Pelosi "capitulated"
Glad you guys feel so blissful.
SuperLib
Good. I was worried that watching your guy get worked over would cause some kind of anxiety, but you sound confident and content. To reinforce that, you should continue to post throughout the day about how awesome you feel, and I'm betting by the end of this thread you'll be the happiest you've been in a long time.
The power of the mind.
Deadforgood
Either way you look at it, Trump gets less money and less fence with the current proposal than he was originally offered. The Dems and GOP compromised on something and it's up to Trump now to take it or leave it. GOP is urging him to take it because the other route will not help them in 2020. Most likely it will screw them over. Its not about Pelosi, though some of you think it is. Its not about Trump either. It should be about a bipartisan government, but most of the Trump supporters on here don't like bipartisanship it would seem. Trump made another mistake, that's human and all presidents do. Do you think he should dig deeper? I do, it'll ruin him.
bass4funk
Well, I don’t need to harp on the President when I don’t have to, I love this President, what can I say. I went through this with Reagan and Bush as well, guess it goes with the territory. You guys do what you do and so shall I.
The power of the mind.
Jimizo
This is an interesting one. Long before Trump came on the political scene, I heard many people say that career politicians are often ignorant about how business works, and that a businessperson would be far more savvy when it comes to making deals. Trump himself made much of this idea.
I think competence is the key, regardless of background.
bass4funk
But more options now that Pelosi conceded. Thank you, Mrs. Pelosi. No shame of doing something immoral
lincolnman
This says a lot of what the difference is between Trumpers and other Dems and Repubs. I don't think any of the latter "love" their candidate. I imagine they respect and admire them, agree with their views and beliefs, and perhaps honor their service to their country.
But Trumpers go way beyond that, for them it's emotional. And that's scary, becase as we've seen here, facts, reality, and empirical data are discarded and ignored if they don't mirror their fanatical devotion to Trump.
So what we get is a cult, or something similar to the alternate reality world of North Korea - where everyone swears their devotion to the Great Leader, and any information opposite of that is spurned and purged....
And that breeds fascism...something we've seen steadily rise over the past two years...
Toasted Heretic
Haven't really looked hard enough, apparently.
https://americasvoice.org/trumphatemap/
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/feb/12/bbc-cameraman-shoved-and-abused-at-trump-rally-in-el-paso
https://www.gq.com/story/donald-trump-supporters-violence-rallies
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/16/us/trump-rally-violence.html
https://www.thecut.com/2016/10/violence-committed-against-women-by-trump-supporters.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/09/nyregion/sayoc-pipe-bomb-suspect.html
lincolnman
What we expected - another dodge...how's it a win?
And Trump supporters can't lecture anyone about morals - "Hey Stormy!"...
Chip Star
Pelosi said a wall was immoral, she said nothing about a fence. Accuracy continues to elude Trumpophiles.
Chip Star
And no wall. Tee Hee!
serendipitous1
Trump was 'proud' (his words) to stop 800,000 Americans from being paid for over a month. Very doubtful that he's changed his views on that. He couldn't care less about federal employees.
Serrano
What about Ted Cruz's proposal that we should seize all assets and bank accounts of El Chapo to finish the wall. The Dems will be against it of course, because it would facilitate getting the wall finished which would cost them votes.
lostrune2
December Trump: "I will shut down the government. I am proud to shut down the government."
February Trump: "I don’t want to see a shutdown. A shutdown would be a terrible thing."
At least we learned something. And all it took was putting 800,000 federal workers' families thru the wringer, disrupting lives across the country, and costing $3 Billion off the economy.
Meantime, US national debt has just surpassed $22 Trillion. Economic growth is said to pay for the added debt and deficit burden, but so far that hasn't been the case despite the GDP gains of the recovery.
SuperLib
Why not spend the money on the opioid crisis and save some lives.
Serrano
Why not spend the money on the opioid crisis and save some lives.
Why not spend the money on the wall and not only save lives but our country? Heck, even with Trump as president for the next six years and a Republican controlled Senate and House after 2020 it's gonna take a decade or more just to get California back.
SuperLib
Nah, no wall for you.
Serrano
Ya, wall for us, Super. It's being built. Construction is going to be accelerated in the coming months. I'll get you some tissues.
Miyam_Musashi
Trump is building a wall at the Rio Grande anyway, haven't you informed yourselves, even before this farce of a compromise.
The puny $1. something billion or "55-mile" number is to appease libs. Why not 50 miles? Or 40 miles? Happy?
No national emergency required. The funds are there; prior budgets have been approved. Voted for by Schumer, Clinton, Obama and all the libs.
Likely "El Chapo's" cash will fund part of the wall - Mexico in the end funds the wall! $14 billion, baby.
Plus the $6 billion California has to refund the Fed govt for its botched high-speed train boondagle.
The joke's on the unhinged once again.
Real border security as promised, yes!
Simon Foston
SerranoToday 10:32 pm JST
As in now, or scheduled for some point in the future?
The coming months? But what about...
It's 3 weeks or less now. No sign of the wall building getting underway. What do YOU have to say?
Serrano
No sign of the wall building getting underway. What do YOU have to say?
Oh my...
New border wall greets migrant caravan in San Ysidro
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3o6DTfpBNo
ClippetyClop
Interesting....Where is that $14 billion? How will they get it? It would be an enormous coup if they could.
Haaa Nemui
You mean the money spent by American users? Still American money.
David Varnes
Except by the very link you provide, it states it was an upgrade and replacement of worn down, older barriers.
So it's not 'new.'
And it was funded long ago.
Try harder... try again.
Miyam_Musashi
Exactly. Along with ongoing construction at the Rio Grande and quite possibly many other places. Voted for by Obama, Clinton and the Dems when it was convenient to pander to the electorate and get elected.
Of course, as usual with politicians, nothing got done.
How many more hundreds of miles are already funded no one can really tell.
But Trump has the political will to finally built real border security.
Good for Americans, including Dems.
Serrano
Except by the very link you provide, it states it was an upgrade and replacement of worn down, older barriers.
So it's not 'new.'
And it was funded long ago.
Sigh... upgrades of barriers are a big part of border security. And since Pelosi considers barriers "immoral" it's a win for wall supporters and border security and a loss for her.
This new enough? lol
Build The Wall: Construction Progress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-f6KkLJF9c
SuperLib
Serrano, if your wall is being built and that makes you happy then be happy. And if you want to dream about it being completed in the future and if that brings a smile to your face then by all means, go for it.
This whole drama needs to come to an end. Telling the world that Democrats want open borders and fake voters rushing in hasn't budged the needle since everyone can see through it. Scare tactics like "reported Muslim prayer rugs" hasn't done a damn thing for you either except expose your fear of Muslims in general. Publishing obviously misleading statistics has gotten you nowhere as they are easily debunked.
And gosh, a year ago when the GOP controlled the budget there was no humanitarian crisis and in less than 12 months things have gotten so bad that we are deploying troops in our own country? Sure. No one is buying this drama except for Trump's base, and that minority doesn't have the numbers to force policy. Everyone on the outside of the bubble can see right through it.
You won't have a complete border wall because it's dumb. There's no way to monitor it in remote places and it will quickly become an obsolete relic of wasted, burned cash, not to mention the environmental issues and lawsuits from landowners. Go ahead and improve the walls in heavily trafficked areas and near border crossings. Democrats have delivered the funds for that in the past.
You guys created this crazy, $25 billion symbol of your own anxiety of foreigners and you're clinging to it like it's the only thing that will ever bring you peace. Your people have lied, mislead, wasted taxpayer money, and tried every corrupt practice under the sun to try to force this garbage policy. You have no more cards left to play.
Let's both be happy that they are increasing security in high traffic areas and put the drama queen show into retirement once and for all.
nishikat
How does Hannity consider this deal. It's up to Hannity. If Trump Hannity gives the OK then Trump will sign.
Blacklabel
Building the wall. Signing the bill to get the non wall items. along with a national emergency to get the rest for the wall.
liberals really thought he was just going to sign that garbage bill only then give up. Sad.
Haaa Nemui
And declaring an emergency for a wall to be built because of lies spread by this disaster of a president opens up a can of worms that America will regret for years to come. How foolish.
Haaa Nemui
It's also interesting that the bill is now "garbage" when yesterday it was a win for Trump. Funny.
Blacklabel
It’s always been garbage. They intentionally gave him almost nothing of what was needed to try to force him to sign it for political reasons.