In the current firestorm of criticism about the border wall deal, pundits are missing one glaring fact about the proposed border deal. Pres. Donald J. Trump has earned his first legislative win on building the wall.
Democrats buckled under the pressure of another possible government shutdown and growing reports of Americans harmed by violent criminals and drugs flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border. They are now engaged in a series of propaganda moves to make it seem as if they didn’t cave to the president’s will. They did.
Demanding the physical barrier be constructed out of steel and not cement, or calling it a fence instead of a wall does not detract from the fact that congressional Democrats are willing to fork over $1.37 billion. Republican Rep. Mark Meadows, who chairs the conservative Freedom Caucus, tweeted his displeasure saying that “Only in Washington, D.C., can we start out needing $25 billion for border security and expect applause when we come up with $1.37 billion.”
Conservative analyst Ann Coulter has been, perhaps, the most vocal critic of the compromise deal. The iconic pundit and author has been outspoken that nothing short of the Department of Homeland Security’s requested 200+ miles of a physical barrier and other measures must be met. Anything less would be a total political and national security loss, in her opinion.
But more experienced GOP politicians such a South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham recognize that pressuring Democrats to depart from the radical left power brokers that hold their purse strings marks a significant win for the president and national security as a whole.
“Take this as a down payment. Go into the defense bill and move money around like Congress allowed you to do last year and build this damn wall. $5.7 billion is what he wants,” Sen. Graham reportedly said. “The difference between $1.375 billion… declare a national emergency because it is, and move the money around and secure this border.”
Freedom Caucus members released a statement directed at the president that paralleled Sen. Graham’s position on border security.
“Thank you for your leadership efforts to protect our border. The conference committee deal is bad. It will not secure the border and will allow criminally violent aliens to be released into our country. And, in fact, there may be additional problems with the proposed ‘deal.’,” the letter reportedly states. “If you feel the need to sign the legislation, we also urge you to immediately use your authority pursuant to Title X, Sections 284 and 2808, to access funds to begin building a much-needed border wall. We support your use of the authority delegated to you as President by the United States Congress to use federal funds to protect the American people.”
And therein lays the rub that liberal Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer will have to contend with. President Trump can take the $1.37 billion for what he will call a “wall” and they will call a “fence” without limiting his executive powers to shuffle funds or merely direct the Army Corps of Engineers to build any type of wall he chooses. In this high-stakes staring contest, Democrats blinked.
As the bill winds its way through Congress and possibly to the president’s desk, Democrats are suffering the sting of defeat in the courts as well. It’s widely known that the party of “resist” and “obstruct” has run to liberal judges to impede the Trump Administration.
U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel recently handed California Democrats a crushing loss when they sought to get an injunction to stop the construction of the border wall. Judge Curiel, a Mexican-American who has been criticized by Pres. Trump in the past, ruled against the liberals and paved the way for Trump to build the wall.
“Big legal win today. U.S. judge sided with the Trump Administration and rejected the attempt to stop the government from building a great Border Wall on the Southern Border. Now, this important project can go forward,” Pres. Trump reportedly tweeted.
The border wall deal hands Pres. Trump a tough-fought legislative win and approximately 55 miles of steel border wall. He can certainly cull together another $4 billion or so by reallocating funds or secure more through the legislative process going forward. The tide has turned Democrats. Trump wins, and America wins!
~ Liberty Planet
