Nancy Pelosi is outright rejecting Trump’s demand for border wall funding, even saying an offer to permanently resolve the Dreamers situation wouldn’t be good enough:
ABC NEWS – As Democrats wait to take over the majority next year, House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi says that lawmakers should punt a debate over the president’s demand for a border wall to next fall in order to avert a partial government shutdown later this month.
Rejecting President Donald Trump’s $5 billion demand for a border security, Pelosi told reporters she would refuse an offer to permanently resolve the standoff over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program in exchange for any money for a border wall.
“They’re two different subjects,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said, expressing a desire to decouple the debate over DREAMers from a fight over the border wall.
“We have before us all of the factors, all of the issues to make a decision. I think that what we can do that makes sense is to pass the six bills where the members of the appropriations committee have come to terms [during ongoing negotiations],” Pelosi proposed. “Then have a [continuing resolution] only for Homeland Security as we go forward, and that’s pretty much where our position is now.”
Remember when Trump praised Pelosi, saying she deserved to be Speaker?
In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be chosen Speaker of the House by the Democrats. If they give her a hard time, perhaps we will add some Republican votes. She has earned this great honor!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 7, 2018
I can get Nancy Pelosi as many votes as she wants in order for her to be Speaker of the House. She deserves this victory, she has earned it – but there are those in her party who are trying to take it away. She will win! @TomReedCongress
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2018
Yeah, I don’t think Pelosi bought what Trump was selling. She’s clearly going to be as big an obstacle as she can to prevent the wall from being funded.
The House and Senate, however, did pass a temporary funding bill to fund the government for a couple more week. It’s heading to Trump’s desk for him to sign:
The House of Representatives and Senate passed a two-week stopgap measure Thursday afternoon, extending current levels of funding until December 21 and buying appropriators a little more time to negotiate a long-term deal. Seven out of 12 areas of federal appropriations currently remain unfunded for the rest of FY2019, though lawmakers have successfully funded approximately 75 percent of government earlier this year.
I’ve read that part of the reason Trump has agreed to a short-term extension has to do with the death of George H.W. Bush. They probably didn’t a huge fight going on while he’s being laid to rest this week.
But the only chance for Trump to get his wall funded is now, before the Democrats officially take power in the House. If he can’t get it done before January, you can kiss the wall goodbye because Democrats aren’t going to let it happen.