Both Trump’s and Democrat’s proposal to end the historical shutdown in the US were blocked in the Senate yesterday. White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said afterwards that “the three-week CR would only work if there is a large down payment on the wall.” That is, Trump is offering to reopen the government temporarily for three weeks, with certain down-payment for the USD 5.7B border wall.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after meting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that “Senate Democrats have made clear to Leader McConnell and Republicans that they will not support funding for the wall, prorated or otherwise.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also criticized that Trump demand for down payment is “not a reasonable agreement”. The House Democrats plan to offer a proposal today on border security, without the wall.
Separately, CNN reported that Trump is preparing a draft to declare national emergency And more than USD 7B in potential funds is already identified for the border wall. According to CNN, in the draft, it’s said “the massive amount of aliens who unlawfully enter the United States each day is a direct threat to the safety and security of our nation and constitutes a national emergency.” And, “Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C 1601, et seq.), hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States.”
