A government shutdown can still be averted, but President Donald Trump will have agree to sign a bill that's already passed through the Senate, as the difference between the $1.6 billion that has been approved for border security and the $5 billion Trump wants for a border wall is "not worth shutting down the government over," Sen. Chris Coons said Friday.
"This is a fight more over message and the president trying to fulfill a campaign promise rather than substance," the Delaware Democrat told CNN's "New Day."
"I'm old enough to remember when Mexico was going to pay for this wall. In a series of meetings with Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol, I'm convinced that the wall isn't a good idea but we should invest more in border security."
If the partial government shutdown happens that force thousands of federal law enforcement officers and other federal employees to work without pay, Coons said, while pointing out that Trump "hasn't yet spent" $1.3 billion that was appropriated for border security last year.
Compromise is possible said Coons, noting that later today, Trump would be signing a bipartisan criminal justice bill.
"Just on Wednesday, we were celebrating this big, positive step forward," said Coons. "It was only when the president got up yesterday morning and listened to far-right media that he changed his mind abruptly and decided to careen back towards a shutdown."
Trump has also called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use the "nuclear option" and end a filibuster rules that requires 60 votes, and Coons said he hopes that does not happen.
"Leader Mcconnell understands the profound and changing impact that it would have on the functioning of the U.S. Senate to make us just like the House, to get rid of the one most important rule that requires compromise, requires working across the aisle to get anything significant done," said Coons.
"I respect the fact that Majority Leader Mcconnell has refused the president's repeated tweets and speeches demanding that he tear down the one last critical remaining element of how we govern ourselves in the Senate so the president could achieve some short-term goal."
Coons added that he does not think another $5 billion is needed for a "slush fund" for a wall, but he is willing to invest more in border security, so he does not think the gap between what Trump wants and the Senate will give is that much.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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