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White House acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, strongly suggested in "Fox News Sunday" that President Trump build a wall at the border using his emergency powers if Congress can not agree on a compromise to finance the construction in the next three weeks. [19659002] Trump on Friday signed a short-term spending bill to reopen the government until February 15, ending the federal government's longest partial closure in the history of states. -United. But the president insisted that the move was not a "concession", writing in a tweet that "in 21 days, if no agreement is reached, it is the turn of the race!" – A message underlined by Mulvaney.
"We are not trying to shut down the government, it is always better to legislate," said Mulvaney, who still holds his title as director of the Office of Management and Budget, said. "It's the right way to proceed.In the end, the president will secure the border, one way or another."
Mulvaney added, "In the end, the president's commitment is to: protect the nation, and he will do it with or without Congress."
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Mulvaney, speaking to the fullest John Roberts said the Democrats had privately told the White House that it was possible to reach an agreement now that the government is temporarily reopened.
"Why did [Trump] do what he did, that's because many Democrats came to see us, some in private, many of them spoke publicly, but they have begun to agree with him on the need for a barrier on the southern border, "Mulvaney told Roberts. "And they came to tell us," Listen, we agree with you, you win the battle over the importance of a barrier on the southern border. But we simply can not work with you until the government is closed. "[19659008]" In the end, the president will secure the border, one way or another. "
added: "It's a marked difference – excuse me, while the government was closed – it's a marked difference from the leadership of the Democrats: they said that" I'm not sure about it. they would never talk to us about border security. Nancy Pelosi said that even if we open the government, she will not give us one. A dollar for the wall. So I think the President has seen here a chance to try to take the Democrats at their word. "
TRUMP PELOSI CHALLENGES: IF THE WALLS ARE IMMORAL, WHY NOT TO REDUCE THE EXISTING?"
The White House asked the Army Corps of Engineers to "look at possible means to finance border security ", including possibly using the President's emergency powers and unspent disaster relief funds.
" I think the President wants to have 5, $ 7 billion, "said Mulvaney." Keep in mind – why this number? This is not an invented figure. That's what the experts told him. He listened to DHS. I attended the meetings. He listened to CBP [Customs and Border Patrol] he listened to ICE. "
If the White House proceeded with an emergency declaration, it would have some legal avenues to follow.The National Emergencies Act gives the president broad authority to declare emergencies, and several federal laws could allow the White House to build a wall
A Law, 33 US Code, § 2293 – "Reprogramming During Emergencies", authorizes the President to "use the resources of the Civil Engineering Program of the Department of 39. Army, including funds, personnel and equipment, to construct or assist in the construction, operation, maintenance and repair of civil engineering works authorized and civil defense projects that are essential to national defense. "
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Another Law, US Code 10, § 2808 -" Construction Authority in Case of Declaration of War or State of War " "national emergency", authorizes the Secretary of Defense, in a state of emergency declared by the President, to use "funds allocated to military construction" for the purposes of construction projects. "
Central American migrants who have received a humanitarian visa from Mexico work for pay, while cleaning up a public sports stadium, which is being used as a shelter for migrants who enter Ciudad Hidalgo, Chiapas State, Mexico, Monday, January 21, 2019, on the border with Guatemala. Thousands of Central American migrants wait for the Mexican authorities to issue humanitarian visas, allowing them to stay in Mexico for one year and work legally. (AP Photo / Marco Ugarte)
Mulvaney gave some advice to Democrats in the hope of avoiding a possible emergency declaration: stop following their congressional leader every turn.
"The last time the Democrats followed Nancy Pelosi blindly on a political path, we Obamacare and bailout and cap-and-trade plans thus lost control of the House" Mulvaney said. "The question is: does Nancy really run the Democratic Party or is it just led by the left wing of her party and will the rest of the Democrats follow her?"
"The President from the beginning here was really the one who wanted to negotiate, "Mulvaney added. It was he who was staying in Washington when Nancy went to Hawaii. He stayed in Washington when the Democrats all went to Puerto Rico. He was in DC when she tried to leave for Europe and the Middle East last week. He wants to negotiate the agreement. And the Democratic leaders simply refused to follow him. "
Some Democrats have hinted that they were willing to oppose Pelosi." Last week, House House Safety Committee Chair Bennie Thompson broke with some of his colleagues. Congressional Democrats acknowledged in an interview that he "would not rule out a wall in some cases", although he warned that the White House needed a better "plan". "That's simply to use a wall as a" topic of discussion. "
FILE – In This archival photo of December 3, 2018, migrants are escorted by an agent of the US Border Patrol while they are stopped after crossing the border wall between Pl ayas de Tijuana (Mexico) and San Ysidro (California).
(AP Photo / Rebecca Blackwell)
Thompson, however, suggested in an ABC News interview "This Week" that Trump was stuck with Pelosi.
"Mr. Speaker, the Democrats will work with you" Thompson said. "But you can not choose the Democrats you work with, we have chosen our leaders and you have to work with our leaders." He continued: "The notion that we can not have barriers is simply a wrong thing."
Democratic leaders have already supported the construction of border barriers. The Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., And other Democrats, including at the time Sense. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton supported the 2006 Secure Fence Act, which allowed the construction of some 700 km of fences at the border. According to figures released by the government, virtually all fences were completed in 2015.
And House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, D-Md., Acknowledged earlier this month the "Special Report with Bret Baier "from Fox News on this border. the walls "obviously" work in some areas, and he rejected the claims that the barriers are necessarily inappropriate – contradicting Pelosi's claims that a wall is "immorality".
Separately, Mulvaney said that Trump had not ruled out the possibility of a military force. table in Venezuela. The government has actually collapsed in the socialist country this week and top Republicans have warned that military action is possible – especially if US diplomats are injured.
"I do not think any president of any party would get his job done properly if they removed anything from the table, so I think the president is not going to do it. "
Fox News learned that the President and his entire foreign policy team were strongly encouraged by the fact that the Venezuelan Defense Attaché in Washington publicly turned against Nicolás Maduro and provided support to the leader of the opposition, Juan Guaido.
Fox News's Gillian Turner, Brooke Singman, and Adam Shaw contributed to the writing of this report.
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