Congress close to a deal on border fencing, and Trump might take it

House and Senate negotiators are closing in on a possible border security agreement that would fund new technology, additional border patrol agents, and likely some kind of fencing in certain areas along the southern border.

There’s no mention of a wall in the deal, per orders of Democratic leaders who vehemently oppose it.

But President Trump seems to be more flexible to whatever the deal entails, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby, R-Ala., divulged to lawmakers in a private lunch Thursday.

“I gave a report on meeting with the president and I thought things were on the positive trajectory as far as maybe concluding the funding,” Shelby said. “But we are not there yet.”

Shelby said Thursday afternoon that the next 72 hours would be critical if Democrats and Republicans are to reach a long-sought deal on border security that would also allow passage of seven spending bills and ensure full government funding by a Feb. 15 deadline.

“We’ve got serious negotiations going on,” Shelby said.

The main sticking point is how much money to provide for border barriers and what those barriers will look like.

Democrats appear willing to agree to funding for some new fencing in targeted areas as well as upgrades to existing barriers, they told the Washington Examiner.

The deal is likely to cover far fewer miles than Trump wants, however, and the barriers will be far less robust than the steel slat wall Trump favors.

Shelby would not disclose whether Trump would agree to less than the $5.7 billion he has requested for border barriers, or a wall, as he calls it. But he hinted Trump may be willing to make a deal on price.

“It was the most positive meeting I’ve had with him regarding numbers,” Shelby said. “He seemed to be very reasonable and, I thought, urging us to get a legislative conclusion to that. He’s being very reasonable but I can’t get into the details.”

Shelby said the accord would include a three-pronged approach to border security, based on a classified briefing provided by border security officials to the negotiators this week.

It would include more money for technology to improve port security, through which most illegal drugs are transported, additional border security personnel, and barriers.

“Technology is very important, ports of entry, manpower is very important,” Shelby said. “But without barriers, none of it will work. We are talking about a comprehensive approach.”

Shelby said negotiators need to complete work by Monday in order to provide any legislative deal to work its way through both the House and Senate.

A temporary government funding bill Trump signed in order to provide time for negotiators to work out the deal runs out a week from Friday.

Republicans are in no mood for a second shutdown. If Trump refuses to sign the deal, he risks abandonment by the GOP, who could override a veto.

“Everybody wants to avoid that,” Shelby said, when asked about the risk of another shutdown. “The president indicated he wants us to avoid that. He wants us to do the job.”


https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/n...-might-take-it

That's it. There's our hope! Barriers! GC for 2033.

Pelosi will pass the Dream Act in the House before the 2020 elections so that it fails in the Senate and it riles up Dem voters. Only way anything happens sooner or Dreamers get protection is if SCOTUS kills DACA.

I am so over it!... I do not want a GC or a USC anymore... They can shove it up somewhere appropriate... Let them give GCs to people through lottery. Those people have never been to this country before... They do not know the culture or the customs of this country... And then let them get USC after 5 years!!! Great!

And "our savior" aka Senator Dicky Durbin is going to run for the senate once again in 2020. He will most likely print our pictures on cardboards and give tear dropping speeches on the senate floor... That is what he does best... He couldn't pass any relief for us for the last 18 years on this issue that he has been "using" for political gain . He should be primaried and replaced as the Democratic candidate for the Senate from Illinois..

I used to think that we would have gotten some type of a relief if the 9th circuit did not intervene... However, the way that they acted during the shutdown makes me believe that they are all incompetent and they would have let our EAD's expire... They did not care for close to a million USCs! What makes you think that they would have cared for us?

DACA exists thanks to Senator Durbin.

It exists because of President Barack Obama!
Senator Dick Durbin had his chance back in 2010 to whip the votes in the Senate and he failed miserably! He should have resigned back then. I would have resigned if I was in his shoes because at least I have some dignity and pride... He is still using us and he will still use us for his 2020 campaign! He is ineffective. He has been saying that the Dream Act is his top priority! Well what does he have to show for his top priority for the last 18 years? If this issue was a top priority for a Republican Senator and most of the Republican party, then they would have gotten it passed through both chambers of the congress when they controlled them. The Democrats controlled both chambers of the congress back in 2010 and Senator Dick Durbin could not whip the votes! He could not get all of his fellow Democrats to vote for it. It is as simple as that. He failed miserably! And he should have resigned... End of story!

Maybe not in the past, but our chances are much better if SCOTUS kills DACA before elections. Neither Dems nor Republicans would want to take the blame for not doing something for DACA before elections. They would probably pass the Bridge Act at that point at least.

Now people are calling for urgency... a month ago everyone was rallying NO and called me nickname lol

DACA was not Obama’s idea. It was a result of the Dream Acts failure in 2010. The sentiment that existed at the time was that Congress should try and pass a CIR bill rather than focus on piecemeal legislation. So you had assholes like Tester and Nelson vote no. Then that prick Manchin didn’t vote at all, if I’m not mistaken. I’m actually in IL and remember a local activist showing me early plans for DACA in the weeks following the Dream Acts failure to pass. Doesn’t seem to me that Durbin is just using us. If that were the case he wouldn’t have pushed for DACA to be implemented.