An agreement on US border security has been reached to avoid a new halt



[ad_1]

Multimedia playback is not supported on your device

Legend of the mediaPresident Trump told his supporters in El Paso: "We are building the wall anyway"

Democrats and Republicans reached an agreement in principle on border security to fund the US government and avoid a further partial halt.

The agreement contains only a fraction of the money that President Donald Trump wants for his promised border wall and does not mention a concrete fence.

The agreement still needs to be approved by Congress and signed by the president.

Tuesday, Mr Trump said about the deal: "I can not say that I am happy, I can not say that I am delighted."

He told reporters that he would have a meeting about the agreement next Tuesday.

The Democrats – who now control the House of Representatives – have refused to approve the $ 5.7 billion intended for Mr. Trump's wall on the border with Mexico, one of his key campaign promises. .

  • What's a government stop?
  • How did the last US stop hurt

Legislators have expressed optimism about the approval of a bill by Friday when funds will be depleted for some federal agencies.

The previous shutdown – the longest in the history of the United States – lasted 35 days and cost the country's economy about $ 11 billion (£ 8.5 billion).

What do we know about the case?

The details have not yet been released, but advisers familiar with the negotiations indicate that it includes $ 1.375 billion in funding for the creation of new fences at the border (88 km), a small portion of 2,000 km promised by the president.

The barrier would be built in the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, using existing designs, such as metal slats, instead of the concrete wall that Mr. Trump had requested.

It was also agreed to reduce the number of detention center beds to 40,250 from 49,057 currently, according to reports.

Multimedia playback is not supported on your device

Legend of the mediaOther presidents have received money for a border fence – why not Trump?

The talks had stalled earlier, with Republicans firmly rejecting Democrat claims to limit the number of undocumented migrants already in the United States who could be arrested by the immigration authorities.

The agreement was reached at a closed meeting in Washington on Monday night after several hours of talks.

"We have an agreement on all this," Republican Senator Richard Shelby said.

"Our staff will work hard to gather all the details, and we believe that if it becomes law, the government will remain open."

  • The Trump Border Wall in Seven Cards
  • Is there a crisis at the US-Mexico border?

But on Monday night, some of the president's conservative allies had already denounced the deal, Fox News commentator Sean Hannity calling the deal a "fictitious compromise."

The representative of House Freedom caucus leader Mark Meadows of North Carolina said the agreement did not "meet the key priorities set by the border patrol leaders" .

Pbad the @RepMarkMeadows Twitter message

This conference agreement is not a serious attempt to secure our border or stop the flow of illegal immigration. This once again leaves the wind in the sails, not meeting the critical priorities set by the Border Patrol Leaders.

Congress does not do its job.

– Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows) February 12, 2019

End of @RepMarkMeadows Twitter post

Speaking on CNN on Tuesday, Democratic Representative Nita Lowey, chair of the House Credits Committee and one of the main negotiators of the agreement, said: "It's all about compromise.Nobody got everything he wanted. "

She said that she was "cautiously optimistic" that the deal would pbad.

Let the rotation start

If there was one thing on which the Democratic and Republican negotiators of Congress could be heard, it is that a new government closure would be very bad news.

Republicans feared that the public would reproach them for stalemate again. Democrats were worried that federal workers, a key constituency, would face additional financial difficulties.

All that remained was to reach a compromise allowing both parties to claim a little victory. They finally did it – and the outlines of the agreement look a lot like what was on the table last December, before the president, at the request of his conservative base, was l? instigator of the current crisis.

According to reports, there is new wall money, but nothing more than what had been agreed last summer. Funds are also allocated for "border security", including better technology and increased control at entry points, which is a source of most drug trafficking.

Donald Trump may be unhappy, but as he is already claiming that his wall is under construction – "finish the wall" is his new slogan – he will probably find a way to make the contract a success. The Democrats complied during the negotiations, but did not break.

Both sides will lick their wounds and prepare for the next fight.

What did Trump say?

In a stadium crowded with banners saying "Finish the Wall" in El Paso, Texas on Monday night, Mr. Trump told his supporters: "The walls work … The walls save lives."

He repeated that a border fence in the city, in front of Ciudad Juárez in Mexico, "made a big difference", even though critics rejected his request, saying it was exaggerated and based on misleading data.

Multimedia playback is not supported on your device

Legend of the mediaTrump supporter pushes BBC cameraman to El Paso rally

"We need the wall and it needs to be built," said Trump, who had already threatened to declare a national emergency and fund the wall without Congress.

However, this idea is hated even by some Republican compatriots and Democrats are likely to challenge it in court.

The president gave up claiming that Mexico pays for a concrete wall, which he had repeated several times during his presidential campaign, and he has already acknowledged that the barrier to be built can not be built of concrete.

  • The Trump Wall: How Technology Fills Gaps
  • What part of the wall is already built?

While the president spoke, Beto O. Rourke, a former Democratic congressman and potential presidential candidate in 2020, held a counter-demonstration, accusing Trump of stirring up fears about immigrants. with "lies".

Why is there a risk of further shutdown?

On January 25, President Trump agreed on a three-week spending agreement to end the closure and allow Congress to reach an agreement.

The closure was triggered by the Democrats' refusal to approve funds for the wall he had promised on the border with Mexico.

Multimedia playback is not supported on your device

Legend of the mediaWhy has the US government been partially closed?

At the last stop, hundreds of thousands of workers were put on leave (unpaid leave) in December and January, while others, working in essential services such as hospital care, air traffic control and law enforcement, worked without pay.

[ad_2]
Source link