Firearms, Impeachment Push, Border Wall: That Expects the Return of the Congress of Recreation

As Congress returns to work Monday in Washington after a six-week hiatus, lawmakers who are already struggling to pass a substantive law are about to tackle a host of fuel problems, ranging from commercial agreements to finance the border wall to gun control and impeachment procedure.

While the presidential cycle was already in full swing, the experts said the political landscape would leave little hope of legislative compromise, but would offer many opportunities for gaming and retaliation. To top it off, lawmakers also need to fund the government by October 1 to avoid a further stalemate, despite deep disagreements over appropriate budgets for the state department, the Pentagon and other key agencies.

"It's a very difficult environment to legislate," Sarah Binder, a professor of political science at George Washington University and research fellow at the Brookings Institution, told Fox News. "First, the parties are surely more ideologically polarized than they were decades ago.Secondly, there is more partisanship in the city than before – your money is yours, your team is for, so my team is against.Third, closing the electoral competition reduces the window for negotiations – each election offers each party a chance to keep or take control. [And,] because the president is so unpopular nationally and with the independents, the Democrats are not subjected to a limited pressure to solve the problems ".

"Parties can be periodically encouraged to show voters that they can govern," Binder added. "But as often they do not agree on the issues, their base rewards them for their inaction, and it's better to blame the other side for blocking traffic than for negotiating solutions."

YOO: TRUMP MAY REALLOCATE FUNDS TO FRONTIERS WALL AND THE SUPREME COURT WILL SUPPORT IT

In one video Posted on Twitter on Sunday, President Trump apparently dismissed the need for any negotiations on his border wall, which, he said, was already being built "in an accelerated manner".

Last week, Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced spending $ 3.6 billion in Defense Department construction funding for the construction of 175 km of walls on Mexico's southern border. The lower courts had frozen the use of money during the trial. Last month, however, the US Supreme Court paved the way for the use of about $ 2.5 billion.

"We will have, by the end of next year, nearly 500 miles of wall." We take money from everywhere, because, as you know, Democrats do not want that we were building the wall, "said Trump. "They fight us with every step, but our military has intensified and they are doing a fantastic job."

The decision to reorient funds could prompt many Democrats to try to curb the reallocation efforts at the new session of Congress. Some courts have suggested that if Congress wanted to prevent Trump from reallocating funds to the border wall, he could do it – with legislation.

But Democrats in the House have "little incentive" to "play the game" and pass constructive bills, as Republicans and the White House "will take credit for it" said at the CQ Roll Center, professor of political science at Northern Illinois University, Scot Schraufnagel. Call the podcast this week.

"It's a very difficult environment to legislate."

– Sarah Binder, Professor of Political Science at George Washington University

According to Schraufnagel, the Congress has so far managed to adopt few "substantive" laws, even though the sheer number of bills passed remained vaguely comparable to that of previous congresses.

"If you look at the numbers, we are at the summer break of the second Trump congress," said Schraufnagel. "And … if you look back and look at pure productivity, it's … actually more productive than the 104th under Clinton, much less than Bush's father, who had more than 382 public laws at this point of its second Congress.At present, we have 56 new laws, much less than the 112th Law of Obama. [Congress,] but exactly around the same as Carter and Bush Jr. at the 108th. A little less. "

But, Schraufnagel said that only 16 of the 56 new laws passed by Congress, this term was considered significant.

However, despite the stall, the experts said lawmakers would likely reach an agreement to avoid a further government shutdown this month. The House has already approved 10 of the 12 annual spending bills, but these bills would have died upon their arrival in the Senate. The House should make a compromise with the Senate to reach an agreement. In the meantime, Democrats have announced they will develop a temporary measure to fund the government to avoid a closure in less than a month.

"I think the partisan environment often means that at least one party does not feel the cost of saying NO to the negotiation," Binder told Fox News. "It's only when the costs of refusing to negotiate are so high for BOTH parties that we will have more chances to see an effort." (Think of the recent saves – when GOP finally felt the blame, they gave in ). "

Binder added that the problem was compounded by "splits within parties, such as between Progressive, Pelosi, and members of his district." (And when House controlled GOP, pragmatists versus members of the Freedom Caucus.) ""

At the same time, information was also released over the weekend, indicating that the Judiciary Committee of the Chamber was intensifying its investigation into the dismissal of the president and preparing a vote next Wednesday to put in place a procedure for hearings that the committee could hold this fall.

The chairman of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, Jerry Nadler, DN.Y., turned around saying just before the suspension of proceedings that the committee had already initiated a dismissal investigation, and then sent contradictory signals to this subject. The eventual vote this week would give increased credibility to the idea that Nadler has been serious in his intention to sue the president.

But this decision would still represent only a technical maneuver and the greatest democrats have warned that dismissal would be premature. Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Said earlier this month that the general public still did not support the impeachment, and that many moderate Democrats have retreated, saying that there was no chance of obtaining a two-thirds vote of the Senate under Republican control necessary. condemn and remove Trump from office.

"I've been traveling all month in August," said rep. Henry Cuellar, Texas this week. "This is not a problem that people raise.I think a lot of people would just prefer to elect it, elect the president."

Tulsi Gabbard, a representative from Hawaii, said in an interview with Greta Van Susteren's "Full Court Press" on Sunday that the impeachment procedure "would tear our country apart".

THE LATEST POLL NEWS FOX ON THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE OF 2020

A June Fox News poll showed that most Americans did not think the impeachment was in Trump's future and did not want him removed and removed from office.

However, a poll by August Fox News revealed growing public support for another hot topic that should be on the agenda of this session of Congress: gun control. Polls revealed that overwhelming and bipartisan majorities of voters were supportive of the background checks of gun buyers and the use of firearms by people who represented a danger to themselves or others.

These numbers have increased after shooting in Dayton, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; and elsewhere. In early August, Pelosi protested against the little-known constitutional power to dismiss the Congress early the day after his leave to pass a law on gun control.

Last week, the Justice Department sent a package of legislative proposals on gun violence to the White House, told Fox News a person familiar with the case. It was not clear at once which proposals were included in the GM package.

BETO O 'ROURKE SAYS THE DEATH PENALTY FOR MASS SHOOTERS IS FUNDAMENTALLY FALSE

A bill passed by the House in February would require a background check of all firearm sales, including those made between strangers meeting online or at a trade show exhibition. fire arms. Currently, the National Criminal Criminal History Verification System (NICS) is used for sales involving licensed firearms dealers, which constitutes the majority of firearms sales in Canada. fire.

But some Republicans have refused to take over several gun control bills that were passed by the House with the support of the Democrats, claiming that they would impinge on the second amendment without preventing the the vast majority of shots.

The president has sent conflicting signals about the extension of background checks – and his downfall in many national polls could contribute to the problem, observers said.

"Trump's deep unpopularity limits legislation in a different way," Binder told Fox News. "First, the Democratic base is showing little interest in their representatives signing agreements with Trump that would give it credit and improve its position for 2020. NAFTA 2.0 is an excellent example of that." "Not really if the Democrats will get the concessions In one case as in the other, this trade agreement is moving very slowly, and as the president is so unpopular nationally and with the independents, the pressure on democrats to solve problems is limited. "

And on the Republican side, said Bidner, "the president's essential contribution to law-making is often his ability to chart a path, albeit less popular, to protect his party and allow it to concessions (the firearm restrictions are an excellent example). [Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell will not introduce legislation unless Trump sets out a clear position, sticks to this position and takes the responsibility to give Democrats some of what they want.

"I think it's largely for this reason – coupled with partisanship – that Trump achieved very little of his legislative agenda apart from his taxes (it did not require a Democratic vote) and out of subjects. on which both parties are in agreement ", such as bills related to opioids, said Binder.

Among the proposals to study: the red flag laws, more money for mental health and the assurance that the information on minors would enter the background checks existing. In addition, White House officials said Attorney General Bill Barr was preparing a bill to speed up the death penalty process for mass shooters.

The issue could be controversial among Democrats seeking to overthrow President Trump in 2020. Former Texas representative, Beto O. Rourke, has attempted to revive his candidacy by asking for a mandatory buyout of what he says. he called "assault weapons" – but he also in a recent policy change, insisted that the death penalty was grossly reprehensible.

The Trump administration has already taken decisive action on firearms control. Last year, the White House unilaterally banned stocks of moguls and other firearms modifiers that would fire faster with semi-automatic firearms, after Las mass shooting. Vegas in 2017 killed 58 people and injured more than 800 people. This decision angered some Conservatives, but the Supreme Court rejected an attempt to delay its implementation earlier this year.

Despite the high visibility of some agenda items, the House's legislative traffic for the coming week would not make headlines. It is tentatively scheduled for the House to debate a Florida Coast Bill, a measure to protect the "Arctic Coastal and Cultural Plain" and "marine economics" legislation. These plans would prohibit drilling and impose other environmental protections. A note to the Democrats by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Mentioned firearms, but proposed no timetable for bills in the House.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Democrats are expected to hold a forum Tuesday to try to pressure McConnell to consider measures regarding firearms. Political scientists said they were struggling with a fundamental question.

"Does an apparent increase in incivility complicate problem-solving and law-making, even more than ideological divisions between the two parties?" Binder said. "Or does an increase in incivility simply reflect the growing partisan burning we see every day on Capitol Hill?"

Chad Pergram, Jake Gibson, Dana Blanton and Fox News Associated Press contributed to this report.