Trump – ‘I will shut down the government for border security’
Donald Trump started talking about a border wall at the start of his presidential campaign and he’s never stopped. Now, he says he will shut down the government if Congress doesn’t include $5 billion for the wall in the spending bill they must pass by December 21st.
According to the federal website “Walls Work,” $5 billion would pay for the construction of 330 miles of border wall.
“A lot of the wall is [already] built. It has been very effective,” Trump said last week during a meeting with Democratic lawmakers, going on to list questionable statistics about illegal traffic in areas with existing barriers. “The only reason we have any percentage where people got through is because they walk and go around areas that are not built. [Illegal traffic] dropped virtually 100% in the areas where the wall is. It is very effective.”
Democratic leaders responded to Trump’s demand with an offer to provide $1.6 billion for border security in 2019, but Trump says it’s not enough.
“The president has his own style and way of negotiating,” says Senator John Thune (R-SD). “The only thing I would say is, it’s just simple math: that you’ve got to get 60 votes in the Senate, and that’s going to require Democrats.”
Speaking about Trump’s threat to shut down the government, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) says Trump will realize “that a shutdown is really not going to gain anything for his position and, in a lot of ways, is more damaging to the American people.”
Other lawmakers insist the shutdown would be no big deal. “The fact is, the vast majority of the government is not going to be shut down under any scenario,” says Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA). “So there’s this little tiny sliver, and within that universe, anybody that is an essential employee still works. So I think this has all gotten a lot overblown.”
Failure to pass a spending bill by December 21st would result in a partial shutdown affecting about 25% of the federal government’s discretionary budget. The shutdown would not affect HHS, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, or the Pentagon.
Agencies that could be forced to send employees home without pay include the Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, Justice, Transportation, the State Department and NASA.
Trump in recent days also suggested Mexico would help pay for the border wall by way of the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement.
“I often stated…Mexico is going to pay for the Wall,” tweeted Trump. “This has never changed. Our new deal with Mexico (and Canada), the USMCA, is so much better than the old, very costly & anti-USA NAFTA deal, that just by the money we save, MEXICO IS PAYING FOR THE WALL!”
As it stands, less than one third of the 2,000 mile border with Mexico has a security fence of any kind.
And while Trump has managed to boost funding for the DHS and oversee repairs on 31 miles of existing barriers, no progress has been made on a new wall. CBP in November awarded two contracts for border wall construction in South Texas; when completed, these projects will cover less than 20 miles.
In the meantime, illegals and drugs continue to pour into the country.
During the 2018 budget year, CPB agents arrested nearly 400,000 people trying to cross the border. This is up from about 300,000 last year. In 2017, CBP seized over 800,000 pounds of marijuana and more than 15,000 pounds of heroin from smugglers at the border.
Editor’s note: As I have said many times, in 30 years Americans will look back and realize that the border wall was President Trump’s most important initiative.
Trump needs to get MEXICO to pay for the wall as he promised. Tell Mexico that they will to take responsibility for not stopping the flow of drugs into the United States, and that all ports of entry and exit will be blocked until they pay up. What has Trump got to lose. The Democrat Party is now a full blown communist organization that is on the verge of turning this country into a totalitarian state. We can either fight them with tariffs and block the flow of goods across the border, or we can fight them later in a bloody civil war. Half of this country is just that angry, and it wouldn’t take much to light the powder keg.
BREAKING NEWS..all democrate have agreed to open up their homes to take in all illegals with HIV,CHICKENPOX, BRONICAL INFECTIONS, HEAD LICE,, STD’S, they agreed to pay for their medical bills food stamps to free taxpayers spending trillions MERRY CHRISTMAS TO DEMOCRAT FOR THEIR NEW OPEN DOORS POLICY LOL
The democrats have always been for spending tax payers money for give
away programs on everybody but Americans, why should we continue to
support those who do not contribute to our society, I’m now retired and live
on a fixed income, my living expenses continue to go up due to this situation.
I have never received any help from the government my entire life. I resent
supporting illegal people who do not contribute or intend to contribute.
Shut the government down if the Democrats refuse to cooperate. Keeping our military on the border is costing money. Build the wall.
The military gets paid whether they work or not. So add more.
A southern boarder wall is badly needed and inexpensive compared to our current costs of enforcement and the great damage and costs of illegals and drugs getting into the U.S. These are established and easily confirmed facts to justify immediate funding of a wall. Why are so many people brain stubborn on this need? They and their democratic representatives are just President Trump OBSTRUCTIONISTS that are doing great damage to this country.
Go for it Trump!
Shut the government down until we get the wall!
We need to do all we can to shut these invaders
out of our country!
when and if the government does shut down,,,, tell congress that their paycheck is the first to go and see how fast they come around to giving the 5 billion for the wall ,,, it won’t hurt me but it will hurt some people right here at Christmas time,,,
if and when there is to be a government shut down tell congress that their paycheck with be the first to go,,,, see how fast they come to an agreement and pass the 5billion that Trump says will build all the wall,,,,
we need that wall,,, we can’t just keep our country safe with hoards of people like that coming to cross over,,, you know some will make it across,,, usually the worst of them all will get across,,, the democrates should know that if they get into our country and kill and rape ,, steal,, riot ,,, and murder it is because they held up building the wall to keep us safe,,
Do not wait till January. We want the wall now,don’t give in to dems. BUILD THE WALL.
President Trump….PLEASE shut down the government. Then
shut down Joy Behar’s big mouth. Some of us remember
when ABC radio shut her up many years ago.
Do not build a wall! Get rid of trump….
I am conservative, but President Trump most resign. He is a foul-mouthed bully who is destroying the moral and positive energy of the United States. His entire family is a disgrace in the White House.
The worst thing is Trump is a pompous liar. I personally feel, other than Tiffany, the Trump family should be deported to a desert island, much like The Raiders of the Ark.
Just leave us alone forever, Trump.
And I could not stand Hillary. She is a saint compared to you and your greedy leeches.
An American Patriot.
Thank you President Donald J. Trump for standing up for the America people in fighting for the southern border wall.
Shame on all the people in America that do not respect the office of our president.
Donald J.Trump was elected by the people for the people to do the job of the president, therefore we are all subject to his way of getting things done.
Shutting down the government is never a good thing to do but when push comes to shove if the only way to get some people in Congress to change their ways the I say go for it Mr. President.
BUILD THAT WALL. The Democratic Party will always resist what the Republican Party wants to do until some of them come to their senses.
Personally, I’m so tired of people thinking that immigrants are nothing but criminals. ALL nationalities, including us good ole Americans, have criminals amongst us. The wall may or may not help solve a thing. As far a drugs go…take a look at our own country. We have doctors writing our scripts for opiods like they are M&M’s and then the patient, in return, goes out and sells them. Our own country has a problem with drugs and it is not all due to illegal Mexicans. Then don’t forget about crooked cops, who I know first ✋ will try and give you drugs in exchange for peoducts you sell from your own business. As they tried to get me to exchange drugs for things I was selling from my own business. I don’t play that game and have no use for drugs either. You don’t judge eveyone for a few bad seeds….just like you don’t throw away a whole bag of apples for one bruised one. I have Hispanics who work for me and they are the best enployess ever. They show up and are very reliable. I can count on them better than my own kind. When you run a business you need people you cam count on. So there is good in All humans and thete is bad in All humans. Don’t judge all for a few bad ones. You know I’m right. God so loved the WORLD…..not just Americans.
BUILD THAT WALL!!! TODAY!
A lot of people don’t like President Trump, but they sure like the money he is putting in their pockets and our country.
What I dont get is why a shutdown for BS lies by 45 and his lying GOPers! FACT MORE DRUGS COME IN THROUGH AIRPORTS PERIOD! Learn the facts for yourselves instead of listening to made up propaganda by 45 and fox news! Following like lemmings ready to go over that edge with 45 LMAO! Look it up there are less people coming over the broader since 2012, it’s all lies made up by racist! If it’s so bad then why are republican leaders who live there say that a wall is NOT the answer and WON’T help PERIOD! I’m so tired of racist making up BS. Like saying that they bring decease. Funny but wasn’t white men who brought chicken pox and deliberately gave it to the natives to try and kill them off. HYPOCRITES!
You need to check your facts. The drugs coming by air is minuscule compared to transport by land. Your grasp of history is also faulty.
No one is looking at the big picture of the overall picture.
If it cost less than 250 billion dollars to build and maintain 2000 miles of a wall 30 feet tall and 6′ wide , it will be a miracle.