Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is reportedly preparing a spending package for border-security measures despite the ongoing government shutdown.
Pelosi starts to crack
Pelosi is considering this spending package despite vowing to not negotiate on any border-security measures until the current shutdown is ended. Here’s what she said in a recent statement regarding Trump’s latest proposal to reopen the government and build a border wall in exchange for offering a safety period to so-called DACA recipients: “Democrats were hopeful that the President was finally willing to re-open government and proceed with a much-need discussion to protect the border. Unfortunately, initial reports make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives.”
Pelosi is playing hardball, refusing to acknowledge or consider any deal that would give Trump anything he wants on border security in order to open the government. But, it appears, that may be changing. Politico reports this morning that Pelosi is considering a border-security spending measure in order to entice Trump into reopening the government.
From Politico Playbook: “Look around. SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CALIF.) and her Democratic leadership are cobbling together a $5-billion-plus border security offer — a big step for a party that said it wouldn’t negotiate with the government closed. Freshman Democrats seem more itchy to find a way to end this as the days go on.”
Democrats are getting antsy
Pelosi is most likely considering this package – which probably won’t have funding for an actual border barrier – because some House Democrats are getting restless waiting for a deal to be struck. (RELATED: Democrats Starting to Ignore Pelosi and Schumer and Embrace Trump’s Border Wall.) A group of House Democrats recently drafted a letter urging Pelosi to negotiate with Trump as quickly as possible and offer him something in order to reopen the government. (RELATED: Moderate Democrats Push Nancy Pelosi to Strike a Shutdown Deal.)
The pressure is starting to build, and Pelosi isn’t blind to it. She knows her caucus is eager to strike a deal and get this whole episode behind them. Some Democrats have already broken with leadership and have voted for wall funding. (RELATED: Eight House Democrats Break From Pelosi on Wall Funding.)
Pelosi may be trying to thread the needle here: placate her restless caucus and give Trump something to open the government that isn’t a border wall.
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At this point, it’s hard to see Trump rejecting such an offer, given the protracted shutdown and its negative economic effect on the country.
