Congressman Collin Peterson is breaking with his colleagues who insist on keeping the federal government closed, urging them to “give Trump the money” for a border wall.
The Minnesota Democrat said he’d give the President the entire amount he is seeking, but add stipulations to ensure it goes to its intended purpose.
“Give Trump the money,” Peterson said during an interview with KFGO. “I’d give him the whole thing … and put strings on it so you make sure he puts the wall where it needs to be. Why are we fighting over this? We’re going to build that wall anyway, at some time.”
Imagine that: Allotting necessary money toward border security and backing it up with rules that assure the money is spent properly. What a concept that would be.
“Give Trump the money.” DFL Rep. Collin Peterson speaks out in favor of border wall funding. | https://t.co/jKLhq6Aqgy pic.twitter.com/QvOyCsRMI2
— WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) January 23, 2019
Peterson added that his fellow Democrats have no interest in compromising by providing the funding for something they have a history of supporting.
“When I bring up what I have to say (to Democrats),” he explained, “they look at me cross-eyed.”
Cracks in the Democrat Wall
Peterson is the latest in a series of cracks beginning to develop in the Democrats’ wall of resistance.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer is on record as opposing Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s stance that a wall at the southern border represents something immoral.
“My own view is, this is not an issue of morality,” said Hoyer. “A wall is immoral if it tries to imprison people who shouldn’t be imprisoned. A wall that protects people is not immoral.”
“I’d give him the whole thing,” Minnesota’s Collin Peterson said Tuesday https://t.co/M3B4RXzuH4
— Roll Call (@rollcall) January 23, 2019
Moderate Democrats have been pushing for Nancy Pelosi to cut a deal with President Trump and end the government shutdown.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn even suggested giving Trump his proposed $5.7 billion for border security measures, though he added the ridiculous caveat of not allowing it to go to construction of a physical wall.
Michigan Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin told a local news outlet that she’d be “absolutely willing” to work on negotiating a deal involving border security.
Dems should take the deal. DACA (the most impt moral issue) will inevitably stay in place. His base will rebel against him. The border funding will never lead to a real wall. Steel fences in a few more locations not that bad a thing for US — or for Dems. https://t.co/coHkfbUOmi
— Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) January 20, 2019
Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia blasted those within her own party for failing to submit a counteroffer to Trump’s proposal to negotiate DACA and end the government shutdown.
“We promised our constituents that we would seek bipartisan solutions, and we feel that this proposal would gain bipartisan support and allow a transparent process to evaluate the true needs of border security and provide much-needed reform to our immigration system,” a letter posted by Luria reads.
Democrat leaders are only interested in fully partisan solutions. Compromise is not in their word cloud.
Peterson Compromises
While the rest of the resistance party continually refuses to compromise with Republicans due to their blind hatred, Peterson has a history of reaching across the aisle.
In 2015 he joined in voting for a bipartisan bill that would defund Planned Parenthood for one year while the organization was investigated for trafficking in baby body parts.
Reason and intelligence are traits lost in the Democrat Party. It’s good to see Peterson try and revive them.