DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (AP) — With no breakthrough in sight to end the partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump has planned a Tuesday night address to the nation and a Thursday visit the U.S.-Mexico border to highlight his demands for a border wall. Newly empowered House Democrats — and at least a few Republican senators — are stepping up pressure on Trump and GOP lawmakers to reopen the government.
Trump said he would discuss the “Humanitarian and National Security crisis on our Southern Border” at 9 p.m. EST. He maintains that more than $5 billion for a wall is necessary to secure the border. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted Monday that Trump will use the visit to “meet with those on the front lines of the national security and humanitarian crisis.”
As the shutdown lurched into a third week, many Republicans watched nervously from the sidelines as hundreds of thousands of federal workers went without pay and government disruptions hit the lives of ordinary Americans.
Trump has offered to build the barrier with steel rather than concrete, billing that as a concession to Democrats’ objections to a solid wall. They “don’t like concrete, so we’ll give them steel,” he has said.
But the Democrats have made clear they see a wall as immoral and ineffective and prefer other types of border security funded at already agreed-upon levels.
White House officials affirmed Trump’s funding request in a letter to Capitol Hill after a meeting Sunday with senior congressional aides led by Vice President Mike Pence at the White House complex yielded little progress. The letter from Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought sought funding for a “steel barrier on the Southwest border.”
The White House said the letter, as well as details provided during the meeting, sought to answer Democrats’ questions about the funding request. Democrats, though, said the administration still failed to provide a full budget of how it would spend the billions requested for the wall from Congress. Trump campaigned on a promise that Mexico would pay for the wall, but Mexico has refused.
The administration letter includes a request for $800 million for “urgent humanitarian needs,” a reflection of the growing anxiety over migrants traveling to the border — which the White House said Democrats raised in the meetings. And it repeats some existing funding requests for detention beds and security officers, which have already been panned by Congress and would likely find resistance among House Democrats.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intends to begin passing individual bills to reopen agencies in the coming days, starting with the Treasury Department to ensure Americans receive their tax refunds. That effort is designed to squeeze Senate Republicans, some of whom are growing increasingly anxious about the extended shutdown.
Among the Republicans expressing concern was Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, who said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should take up bills from the Democratic-led House.
“Let’s get those reopened while the negotiations continue,” Collins said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Adding to concerns, federal workers might miss this week’s paychecks. Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” that if the shutdown continues into Tuesday, “then payroll will not go out as originally planned on Friday night.”
Over the weekend, the federal agency tasked with guaranteeing U.S. airport security acknowledged an increase in the number of its employees calling off work. But Trump and the Department of Homeland Security pushed back on any suggestion that the call-outs represented a “sickout” that was having a significant effect on U.S. air travel.
At the White House, on Monday, spokeswoman Mercedes Schlapp complained that Democratic leaders have yet to define what they mean when they say they are for enhancing border security.
“Democrats want to secure the border? Great. Come to the table,” she said. “We are willing to come to a deal to reopen the government.”
Trump reaffirmed that he would consider declaring a national emergency to circumvent Congress and spend money as he saw fit. Such a move would seem certain to draw legal challenges.
Incoming House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., said on ABC’s “This Week” that the executive power has been used to build military facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan but would likely be “wide open” to a court challenge for a border wall. Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff called the idea a “nonstarter.”
Trump asserted that he could relate to the plight of the hundreds of thousands of federal workers who aren’t getting paid, though he acknowledged they will have to “make adjustments” to deal with the shutdown shortfall.
Written by CATHERINE LUCEY and LISA MASCARO, The Associated Press. Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York, Jill Colvin and Kevin Freking in Washington, and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Here we go, just like the last POTUS “I’ll just pick up a pen and a phone”
The President has already been set.
There’s no emergency at the border.
This is all theatrics and a massive distraction.
President Bluster and Bullcrap doing what he does best. Blowing smoke.
You’re funny ! and deluded!
And you’re desperate. Just like the rest of Trump’s base.
They don’t use pens anymore. they just text
We’re going to build a big beautiful wall and who’s going to pay for it??? M E X I C O… Oh, right we are. Oops, especially federal workers
$5 Billion is a drop in the bucket compared to what we the taxpayers pay out to run illegal alien children through our K – 12 school system…the Wall will be built regardless if the Liberals want it or not….you think walls don’t work, then tear down the wall around your home…
Hey wait . I thought Mexico was going to pay for it. Pretty caustic for a regulat person making Utah min wage to vcall $5 billion a drop in a bucket when your jobs not on the line.
“you think walls don’t work, then tear down the wall around your home…”
This is the very definition of false equivalency.
Lots of home dont have walls around them Dingaling. Only an idiot who has his head up his butt doesnt know this is a fake crises created by Trump to get you sucked into his lies. NO CRISIS
Should we also put a roof over the country? Might help reduce monsoon flooding in our area. I would also love to have modern windows installed in the country to stop some of this drafty winter weather.
You want to run for President and campaign on that? It’s your right to do so in this lovely country.
You missed the satirical point: the analogy to private fences isn’t legitimate.
Wow bike I’m impressed with that childish comment
Lets take the wheels off your car and see how far you get with that argument.
Wheels have worked since they were invented.
Walls have worked for protection since the were erected.
and
Roofs still work as well as windows.
Childish Blather at it’s best here bike, you better than that right?
yours is no better…
And mine was intentional satire. Over their heads.
When Trump said Mexico will pay for a wall, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe it the first, second, or third time. I never believed it but I voted for him to build a wall anyway. Build the wall!
Keep the government shutdown until he gets funding for a wall.
Y’all keep bringing up “Mexico will pay for it” but I voted for Trump never believing Mexico will pay for it. I’m not alone, others didn’t believe it either and still voted for him. Build the wall!
Its a legitimate criticism. He lied about billions in dollars in funding to the American people. He serves all Americans, not just the ones who voted for him.
Well then get on board. I’m not sure it was an intentional lie. I think he really believed he could make that deal. It didnt happen. Move on to the next deal.
Hes just that arrogant b&f but it takes arrogance to be POTUS.
Get on board with the wall and protection of us. The money we will save in not housing illegals will save more money than the cost of wall, in my opinion.
Its not my job to get on board. Its my job to hold him accountable for bad ideas and lies.
And you don’t think that curtailing illegals from the southern border will save the American taxpayer BILLIONS of dollars besides what they send home? You are naive bike, I look at that as Mexico paying for the Wall.
What makes you think the rest of us want our tax dollars going to a monument to Trump’s ego?
This is what happens when your country is being run by a minority. You get outlandish ideas regurgitated through FoxNews propaganda to drum up fake outrage and the flying monkeys come out of the castle to do their master’s bidding. I can’t think of anything more unpatriotic than that stupid wall and the people who want it.
You dont, obviously. like him at all. You dont have too.
You obviously are for open borders and an invasion of illegals. Whatever. Trump will continue to build wall. And I’m for it.
And ice pick, your going to pay taxes no matter what unless you get welfare. Me? I get a refund on my taxes because I make little money. No worries for me.
As for me, I’m going to lock my door and keep my gun loaded. You can leave your windows open and doors unlocked when you go to sleep at night. To each his own.
I’d like to build a wall around people like you.
What makes you think the other half want to pay for Illegals.
156 billion a year…. look it up ice
Your ego talking point us Blather and nonsense soy boy get a clue.
Yeah, ladybug. Some people still think there was WMD in Iraq and Obama was from Kenya, no matter how often those have been disspelled. Live in a bubble, but dont hold all the rest of us hostage in your ignorant dillusions.
If you were to run for President in 2020 what would your campaign be? Maybe you and b&f can run against eachother.
You think I’m holding you hostage? Or do you think Trump is holding you hostage? Then tell me how you personally have been affected from 2015 til now. How is your life different because Trump is President? Are you angrier? lol
This is what is great about our country. We can agree to disagree and still have a drink together. Cheers!
No disrespect to my Raiders but in honor of my husband, Go Rams!
I don’t own a T.V. and haven’t watched one on a regular basis since 2011. It’s all garbage, but you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going down to my local friendly Pub tonight and order a tall barley-pop and a bucket of popcorn so I can watch the melt down at 10 minutes after the hour. Now that is entertainment.
What a… life?
It is a beautiful life ice when you break the chains of the 24hr news cycle and brainwashing hellywood crap shows they call family entertainment. You should try it. Just think of what you could do with that $100 or more savings a month.
You know you love me b&f.
I hear there was a time when people didnt lock their doors. Times have changed. Now we lock our doors, have camera surveillance, we got our guns loaded. We can die at any moment bring shot at a gas station. No, illegals arent to blame for that, not at all. But that is a different subject.
Right now it’s about the border. It’s about manufacturing in America. It’s about higher paying jobs. With outsourcing our jobs will always be low pay. With higher pay comes higher cost of living so housing cost need to be controlled.
But what life is really about is Jesus is coming back real soon. I can hardly wait!
b&f if you run for President and secure the boarders. Bring manufacturing to America. If you can get us to be Amercan made. If you can get us to export more than we import and you can control housing cost. I might vote for you. 🙂
If your life has been personally affected by who is President, in the past, the present, or in the future, than your hope and faith is in the wrong thing and you need a reality check.
Jesus is the truth, the life, and the way.
I have seen it published that it costs the tax payers of this Country 160 billion dollars a year for all the assets it takes to try and deal with the 15 million or so undocumented’s on average, the prisons, the hospitals where they go to the e.r. for every single problem they have and never pay the bill, do you wonder why our health care costs us all so much? Think about it for a few seconds , our school teachers are failing the needs of the other students as a result of the influx of non English speaking, uneducated, kids that have not even been inoculated for anything yet, and are the carriers of all kinds of bugs and disease, the whole family doesn’t even bother to learn the English language in a lot of cases, they don’t even try to assimilate our culture at all, their youth especially have a natural tendency to join and encourage gangs and perpetuate that culture of drugs and crime, etc. etc. and it is unsustainable. What part of all that don’t some of you people get? President Trump is a man that fixes problems, and like him or not he can see the need to fix this huge problem we have. Isn’t that what he was elected to try and do?
You helped elect him for your stated reason. Most of the voters voted against him. In doing so, we stopped him having a clear mandate. That was even more with Republicans losing the House in the midterms.
Your claims are fear mongering and the majority of Americans no better. When Trump creates a detailed plan that accounts for the complex realities of our immigrration problems then more Americans will support him.
“You helped elect him for your stated reason. Most of the voters voted against him. In doing so, we stopped him having a clear mandate. That was even more with Republicans losing the House in the midterms.”
Mandates don’t matter bike and the House doesn’t matter either, you already know the Founders set up the electoral collage for a reason right? So there isn’t MOB RULE and the Senate is the check on the House right? After all we are still a Republic if we can keep it. He won the Senate.
“Your claims are fear mongering and the majority of Americans no better. When Trump creates a detailed plan that accounts for the complex realities of our immigrration problems then more Americans will support him.”
He just did “THE WALL IS COMING” meme can’t get any more detailed than that.
Wow Chris, to much truth in that post to not go unchallenged by the babbling open boarders crowd.
Thank You.
Know here comes the 24hr news cycle talking points in 3..2..1…
And bike wins the racist or I mean the race again.. Clap, clap, clap.
11 comments from LBA in the span of one hour.
Who is doing the moderating today? Because that’s what I call SPAM.
Iceplant, that’s not really what spam is, unless she’s trying to sell something. That’s just LBA having a lot to say on certain topics, as you have also demonstrated. As to your other comment, some moderators may let you get away with calling someone a “mouthy piece of trash,” but that’s not me. And when you tell me to “step up and do your freakin’ job,” I can show you my job description, and nowhere does it say “Supervise playground name-calling.”
For more information, please read this editorial if you haven’t already:
https://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive/2018/11/07/pdd-lets-talk-about-the-comment-section-and-if-it-currently-serves-any-purpose/
As a followup for your information, as an editorial board, we have chosen not to kill the comment section entirely, but if you are dissatisfied with the way we choose to moderate it, you don’t have to participate.
Paul Dail
Editor in chief
Live link from the White House of President Trumps prime-time address.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/
If you are against the wall, you are against our country. We must protect our borders and build that wall! Trump’s speech was brilliant and proves that he is a great leader!
And there you go defining who is American and patriotic again. Plenty of people who care about this country and its security fundamentally disagree with Trump’s demands. We aren’t required to be subservient and obedient to your ultranationalist take on political disagreements.
I defined it perfectly well, because these same American, patriotic people voted Trump into office, not Hillary. He won for a reason, and we must build the wall. Nancy and Schumer are shaking in their boots right now because the President is doing exactly what he said he was going to do. Is it really any surprise? He is doing what is right for this country, and the democrats are against doing what’s right. If there is anything that represents the very definition of immoral, Nancy and Schumer are the perfect example. They should both be put in jail for putting our national security at risk. Shame, shame, shame on Nancy and Schumer!
And you are raising the stakes to banana republic levels that include jailing political opposition. You really don’t understand our liberal democratic republic and how it works.
You are using fascist/authoritarian rhetoric.
You make completely false assumptions and accusations. It’s ok though because the swamp is draining, and we will build the wall!
Redbud,
You really don’t understand logic and rational debate.
No false allegations. You stated:
” If there is anything that represents the very definition of immoral, Nancy and Schumer are the perfect example. They should both be put in jail for putting our national security at risk”
We don’t jail political opponents in the US. Plain and simple. Trump has been using thus authoritarian rhetoric since the beginning of his campaign. Democracies and democratic republics thrive with various political viewpoints, including national security. Its why we were founded on pluralism. Expecting everyone to fall in line with the executive’s nationalistic rhetoric isn’t liberal or consistent with our foundations as a country. Its directly from the playbook of fascists and authoritarians. I know you discount fact and definitions wholesale but here they are again:
Authoritarianism: (noun) enforcement or advocacy of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom. (Informal: lack of concern for the wishes or opinions of others.)
fascism: (noun) a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition. (OR) a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control.
Vocalizing narrow definitions of who is American (obedience vs personal freedom) and advocating the jailing (a type of forcible suppression) of political opposition for a lack of obedience to the president’s agenda meets both definitions.
You are playing with fire whether you intent to or not. Neither the content or strategy you support are to be taken lightly as history shows. If you don’t value those ideas and strategies than I suggest you reevaluate your comments. I’ll do my best to give you the benefit of the doubt but the content and tenor of your comments doesn’t make that choice easy.
You apparently don’t know what a Fascist is.
@John
Can you ever make a cohesive argument instead of always trolling? b&f just typed out the very definition of fascism.
Read for comprehension. Really, try it sometime.
I’m totally against illegals and I wish we could deport them ALL along with their anchor babies. But this blind religious faith in trump as some kind of savior is just absurd. When I see ICE agents rounding up the illegals from these worksites right here in STG then I’ll know something is actually being done. UT is one of the most conservative states in the nation and has become a huge sanctuary state for illegals. Bunch of republican fake conservative hypocrites and their false savior “the donald”. Ridiculous!
Do you really think that if democrats took utter and complete control of the entire country, they would do anything better than republicans are doing to battle the problem? They would open the border and hang a welcome sign. Then they would hand out congratulatory cash bonuses that come from our paychecks, as they casually walk through the gates. Oh wait? That’s pretty much what’s happening in our country right now. Free housing, free food, and free healthcare paid from your paycheck! What’s not to like? So much for protecting sovereignty.
Drama, drama, drama. 😛
Don’t worry, comrade. When Dems regain full control of everything in 2020, you’ll get used to it. Or die from complaining.
I don’t know, red. The dems really truly disgust me these days. I’d like to see Pelosi and Shumer brought down. They are a 2-man clown act. I’d also like to see every last illegal and anchor baby deported and gone for good. Even many many “libruls” I talk to would like to see the invaders be dealt with. But it simply cannot be denied that trump is failing miserably at any kind of effective governing. Trump is part of the swamp, whether you believe it or not.