So if Trump is now saying Mexico doesn't have to pay for the wall, Congress aint going to support it, so begs the question : -
Who the fuck is gonna pay for it - the EU?
Either The Dems cave or Tump declares a national emergency, I can't call it
So it seems that tests have been done on the various wall prototypes that have been built. Trumps current favorite design of steel slats was easily sawn through in the tests
In terms of the Government shutdown which will be the longest on record after this weekend the 800,000 workers will miss their pay today and so will really start to suffer. They are just being used as hostages by Trump. If as he says he is prepared to declare a national emergency if he does not get funding then he should just go ahead now. He could sign finding bills into law today which would get those people back to work and then if after that he still does not get separate wall funding he could go for his emergency option and try to fight that through the courts. Some commentators have suggested that if he loses in court his base will forgive him as he will have done all he could.
The stupid thing is that he refuses to accept the facts that most illegal immigrants come through official ports of entry and overstay valid visas. Most drugs are smuggled through official ports of entry. Most suspected terrorists come through airports etc etc. Immigrants statistically commit less crimes than US born citizens. The Romaine lettuce food poisoning deaths were more than those from illegal immigrants in 2018 etc etc.
The Democrats have said he can have more money for technology, immigration officers etc and those are what are needed and will still be needed if he had his damn wall!
It's those 800,000 workers missing their paychecks that will make The Dems cave
They wont have to he will call a non emergency so they wont have to cave until the next time
I'm just seeing on the Guardian's live feed of the shutdown that The House has passed a bill which would guarantee backpay to federal workers who have been impacted by the shutdown. The measure passed in the Senate last night. According to Mitch McConnell, Trump has said he will sign it. Senate Democrats are also drafting a bill which would ensure government contractors, who have gone unpaid during the shutdown, would also get their money.
Also so far the shutdown has cost the US economy $3.6 Billion or in other terms more than half Trump's asking price
^ 7 Republicans voted against the back pay bill in the House. Hope they get thrown out in 2 years time.
On the subject of Trump declaring a national emergency to build the wall he seems to have backed off a little bit. He’s certainly getting some push back from senior Republicans and some commentators. At least one has pointed out that in time there will be a Democratic President who could if Trump goes ahead now, use that precedent to declare an emergency over gun deaths and ban gun sales! Now gun deaths is a real emergency.
If he would only accept that “the wall” is a metaphor for border security the Democrats will work with him as I said earlier.
looks like they thought Trump had gone to far with the shutdown