Trump Says `Didn't Want' Fight Over Border Wall: Shutdown Update

The partial U.S. government shutdown is in its 19th day, and President Donald Trump is scheduled to join Senate Republicans at a private lunch before meeting later at the White House with congressional leaders of both parties.

Trump Says He ‘Didn’t Want This Fight’ Over Border (12:17 p.m.)
Trump said he wants “strong barriers” along the southern U.S. border to stem illegal immigration, adding that “a drone isn’t stopping a thousand people from running through.”

The president, speaking to reporters Wednesday in the Oval Office, made the remarks ahead of a 3:00 p.m. meeting with lawmakers, including Democrat leaders who have insisted that technological advances make a wall unnecessary and ineffective.

Trump added that he “didn’t want this fight” with Democrats over funding the wall. In a December meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Trump said he’d be “proud” to shut down the government if Democrats didn’t bend to his budget demands.

Graham Says There’s ‘a Deal to Be Had’ (11:50 a.m.)
GOP Senator Lindsey Graham said he spoke with Democrats and hopes a broad immigration policy deal emerges this week to end the shutdown.

"There is a deal to be had," Graham told reporters. "It’s got to be wall-plus."


He said a deal could include money for a border wall, protection against deportation for thousands of young undocumented immigrants, and Temporary Protected Status for people from countries like El Salvador and Haiti who are in the U.S. legally because of civil turmoil or natural disasters at home.

"Here’s what the Democrats are going to ask, and this is a good question: ‘Will the president sign it?’" Graham said. "I believe and hope he’s open-minded to a deal."

Such a deal cannot include new limits on legal immigration previously demanded by the White House, said Graham of South Carolina.

"That ain’t going to happen as part of this deal," he said, adding that the White House will need to drop that earlier demand. "They lose me if they don’t."

Graham said he sees a proposal he wrote with second-ranking Senate Democrat Dick Durbin of Illinois as "what the market will bear." That would extend protections for the young immigrants but wouldn’t provide a pathway to citizenship.

Democrats Fault Trump Over Idled Federal Workers (11:18 a.m.)

Chuck Schumer and Nancy PelosiPhotographer: Tom Williams/Pool via Bloomberg
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer held a news conference with representatives of federal workers whose agencies have been shut down.

"The people behind me represent the real human collateral damage of President Trump’s temper tantrum," said Schumer of New York. Referring to the Transportation Security Administration, he said, "Why should we ask TSA officers to go without their hard-earned pay while they protect our airports?"

"He has chosen a wall over workers," said Pelosi of California.

Jeffery David Cox, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said, "we oppose being held hostage."

Republicans, Democrats Stick to Demands (11:15 a.m.)
House Democrats emerged from a morning meeting saying they remain united behind their demand that the government reopen before discussing border funding.

“The government needs to reopen before any discussions on border security begin," said California Democrat Pete Aguilar, who has attempted immigration compromises with Republicans in the past.



House Appropriations Chairwoman Nita Lowey of New York said Democrats are willing to talk about more border security funds once government agencies reopen.

On the other side of the aisle, House Republicans emerged from their meeting saying they remained strong behind Trump -- and that Trump is not budging.

"He’s standing firm," said Representative Mark Meadows of North Carolina.

"He believes very firmly that we’ve got to address this. It’s eluded every other president, both Democrats and Republicans, to secure our borders," said Meadows.

Democrats Willing to Add Border Security Funds (10:46 a.m.)
Hakeem Jeffries of New York, a member of the House Democratic leadership, told reporters that his party is willing to “substantially increase” funds for border security using drones, technology and existing fencing. But, he said, Democrats aren’t willing to “waste taxpayer money” on a wall at the border with Mexico.

“We’re certainly not willing to reward a presidential temper tantrum,” Jeffries said.

Hoyer Says Closure Erodes Government ‘Credibility’ (10:25 a.m.)
Representative Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, questioned Wednesday who would want to work for the federal government as a result of the shutdown.

He praised proposed legislation that would guarantee back pay for government employees whose agencies are closed.

“We are eroding the credibility of the federal government,” Hoyer told reporters.

McConnell Says Wall Should Be Part of Solution (10:15 a.m.)
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said on the Senate floor that barriers should be part of the border security solution "and the facts back them up."

He criticized Democrats’ vote Tuesday to block legislation regarding the Middle East because the GOP majority won’t consider bills to reopen government agencies. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has added to government shutdown with a Senate shutdown, McConnell said.

“They want to shut down the Senate as well," the majority leader said. "No progress, no bipartisan work. Not even on urgent and pressing matters.”

Here’s What Happened on Tuesday:
Trump offered no new proposals to end the shutdown during an Oval Office speech Tuesday night, instead spelling out familiar statistics, renewing complaints about Democratic criticism of his proposed border wall, and describing crimes committed by people he said were in the country illegally.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a response to the president, reiterated their position: pass legislation to end the shutdown, then negotiate over border security.
Fifty-one percent of adults surveyed Jan. 1-7 said Trump “deserves most of the blame” for the shutdown, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday. That’s up four points from a similar poll conducted Dec. 21-25.
Unless the impasse is resolved quickly, 800,000 federal workers will miss their paychecks due at the end of the week.
— With assistance by Laura Litvan, Arit John, Anna Edgerton, Erik Wasson, Steven T. Dennis, and Billy House


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...hutdown-update


@StevenTDennis
11m11 minutes ago
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Lindsey Graham is talking up a new proposal to end the shutdown, hopes it comes together and gets bipartisan support by end of the week. Details: 1/

Elements of Graham Plan:
* Graham-Durbin BRIDGE Act granting 3 years DACA extension.
* Extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for many about to lose it
* Border $ including humanitarian $ & barrier $
* NO new limits on legal immigration previously demanded by WH

Graham said Democrats will ask if Trump will sign such a plan. And said that's a good question.

Previously "Tuesday Trump" has liked such ideas and "Thursday Trump" tanked them by adding demands Democrats see as poison pills.



@DavidJollyFL
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Donald Trump just called for comprehensive immigration reform.


@PattiSolisDoyle
3m3 minutes ago
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.@realDonaldTrump now says he wants a big Immigration bill. He said that a year ago. "Bring me something. I'll sign it. I'll take the heat." Dems gave him $ for wall in exchange 4 DACA & path to citizenship. He turned it down because @AnnCoulter tweeted at him. Give. Me. A. Break

Fucking bridge act lol. I just hope it includes travel .

I find it hard to take Lindsay seriously. Trump obviously doesn’t listen to him.

that is what the republicans are asking for. Lets wait and see what the democrats offer.

Either way, this is a republican proposal and so far does not have bipartisan support.
When democrats start to lean into those points, it might not be the bridge act, hopefully something better.

fuk the bridge act. thats just kicking the can down the road and in 3 years we will be back here

now he wants immigration reform...Trump isn't serious. ( I hope he is though)

@DavidJollyFL
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Donald Trump just called for comprehensive immigration reform.

Three whole years of congressionally granted legal status? Sign me up. Soon after they'll keep re-authorizing and adding more rights an obligations.

I do see that its a leap of faith from where the bridge ends to where we are supposed to land safely, but I am willing to take that leap. My reasoning for them extending bridge, is that at that point its no longer grant them status, but rather to grant us continuing status.

If dems accept bridge act then we are done until the elections