President Donald Trump will offer another compromise deal on Saturday to end the shutdown over the border wall, and Democrats will approve $1.1 billion to buy extra surveillance technology and additional immigration judges, according to Friday evening media reports.
CBS reported:
A senior administration official told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Major Garrett that Mr. Trump will present what the White House believes could be a deal to end the shutdown. The deal was largely influenced by talks between Vice President Mike Pence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.
Kushner and Pence met with McConnell in the Senate Majority Leader’s office on Thursday evening.
The proposal will be made via a 3:00 p.m. presidential announcement from the White House.
The New York Times reported that the Democratic proposal would not add any money for the border fence, despite Trump’s repeated push for $5.7 billion or his compromise offer of $2.5 billion. Trump’s request for $5.7 billion in 2019 would buy an extra 234 miles of border fence on the 2,000-mile border.
WASHINGTON — House Democrats have added more than $1 billion in border-related spending to a package of funding bills that would reopen most of the government …
…
About half the money, $524 million, would be for additional infrastructure at ports of entry on the border, one Democrat said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the plans have not been formally announced, while $563 million more would be inserted to fund 75 immigration judges, who adjudicate the claims of migrants who make asylum claims at the border.
Trump posted two Tweets on Friday night, including a hinted description of the proposed compromise:
I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border, and the Shutdown, tomorrow afternoon at 3 P.M., live from the @WhiteHouse.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2019
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 19, 2019
Trump said:
Everything we are asking for, whether it is the wall or barrier, whether it is the technology, whether it is the drug-detecting equipment, this is what law enforcement wants, this is what they need. Wait until you see the results. They’ll be proud of it and we’ll be even prouder.
On January 9, Kushner and Pence met with a group of business-first GOP Senators, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham. The GOP Senators urged the White House to swap an amnesty for perhaps three million “DACA” illegals in exchange for a few billion dollars for the border wall.
Media reports on the proposal did not say the Senators backed Trump’s call for vital reforms to block the migration of poor Central Americans into the United States via the multiple catch-and-release rules in border law.
Since January 9, Graham has repeatedly urged Trump to give up his wage-boosting “Hire American” policy to get wall funding.
Lindsey 'Gang of Eight' Graham says he will support border-wall emergency if Trump spends 3 weeks offering DACA amnesty & TPS giveaway to Dems & business. IOW, wants Trump to trade his 'Hire American' policy to get a symbolic wall w/o vital asylum reforms https://t.co/in1VRRrc2f
— Neil Munro (@NeilMunroDC) January 14, 2019
The January 10 reports did say the Senators also want to include an expansion of the H-2B visa program which allows U.S. landscapers, restaurants, fish processors,and forestry companies to import cheap workers and so reduce wages for their American employees.
In the zig-zag talks, Trump has already given several concessions to the Democrats, who have not offered anything in exchange.
The New York Times‘ report about an extra $1.1 billion in border security spending is a minor concession. The public — and nearly all legislators — strongly support the deployment of drug-detection technology.
Democrats pocket Trump's several concesssions in the border wall/shutdown talks, and continue to describe the wage-cutting economic migrants as refugees who deserve humanitarian aid. Q: Can the Dem. leaders enforce a compromise in the 'diversity party'? https://t.co/cf9Qnr0tzf
— Neil Munro (@NeilMunroDC) January 10, 2019
Democrats hate Trump’s border wall because they see it as a symbolic public rejection of their plans to impose greater diversity on Americans. The wall is “an immorality,” according to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It “is not who we are as a nation,” she said January 3.
Via Twitter, pro-migrant activists shared their worries about the nature of Trump’s offers, which follow several prior concessions by Trump, including a decision to build a fence of steel slats instead of the proposed concrete wall, which is loathed by pro-migration Democrats.
Lol this appears to be as dumb as it looks. This is almost certainly going to be s grand bargain in which Trump offers softer beds for separated child detainees in exchange for a wall. Mitch, Pence and Jared. Lol https://t.co/bHjh8Pyo2p
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) January 19, 2019
Exactly. In fact, I think he'll name check a few issues "to put on the table" — but make no commitments, let's negotiate. All aimed at moving the public opinion needle on "who do you blame?" (it won't). So obvious and so boneheaded. And so cruel. https://t.co/CMoCbcnPnA
— Frank Sharry (@FrankSharry) January 19, 2019
Pro-American activists posted their worries:
Why do I worry that, under Jared's influence, @realDonaldTrump will cripple his presidency tomorrow with some kind of offer of DREAMer amnesty without nearly enough in return? It only gets worse from there, as Dems demand more, no? Hope I'm just paranoid #ABP https://t.co/QncAAXlN6K
— Mickey Kaus (@kausmickey) January 19, 2019
Ann Coulter repeated her warnings on Friday against an amnesty deal:
An amnesty is an amnesty for all illegal aliens here now or to come in the future. https://t.co/LvM1anjdTm
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 19, 2019
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