Dems Make an Offer on Border Security

And President Trump plans to speak Saturday afternoon
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 19, 2019 10:46 AM CST
Dems on Border Security: Here's $1B
President Donald Trump speak to reporters before leaving the White House in Washington, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The first tangible signs of movement may be emerging in the impasse that has shut down the government for weeks: President Donald Trump is promising a "major announcement" about the closure and the US-Mexico border and Democrats are pledging more money for border security, the AP reports. It was unclear whether the developments, following days of clashes between Trump and Nancy Pelosi, might represent serious steps toward resolving the partisan fight or instead may simply be political posturing as the partial shutdown reached a record 29th day. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers have gone without paychecks, enduring financial hardship. Many public services are unavailable to Americans during the closure.

Midafternoon Saturday, Trump is expected to propose the outlines of a deal that the administration believes could have the potential to pave the way for a shutdown end. Whatever the White House proposes could be the first major overture by the president since Jan. 8, when he gave an Oval Office address trying to make the public case for the border wall. Democrats are proposing $563 million to hire 75 more immigration judges, who currently face large backlogs processing cases, and $524 million to improve ports of entry in Calexico, California, and San Luis, Arizona, per a Democratic House aide. Trump's refusal to sign spending bills that lack $5.7 billion he wants to start constructing that wall, which Democrats oppose, has prompted the shutdown. "We need the help and the backup of a wall," the president said Saturday.

(More border wall stories.)

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