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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 11 February 2019

vate talks. was. Both sides are eager of the law lets the Defense
"You cannot take a shut- to resolve the long-running Department provide sup-
down off the table, and battle and avert a fresh port for counterdrug activi-
you cannot take $5.7 (bil- closure of dozens of federal ties. But declaring a nation-
lion) off the table," Mul- agencies that would begin al emergency remained
vaney told NBC, "but if you next weekend if Congress an option, Mulvaney said,
end up someplace in the doesn't act by Friday. even though many in the
middle, yeah, then what "I think talks are stalled right administration have cooled
you probably see is the now," Sen. Richard Shelby, on the prospect. A number
president say, 'Yeah, OK, R-Ala., said Sunday on "Fox of powerful Republicans,
and I'll go find the money News Sunday." ''I'm not including Senate Majority
someplace else.'" confident we're going to Leader Mitch McConnell,
A congressional deal get there." R-Ky., have also warned
seemed to stall even af- Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., against the move, believ-
ter Mulvaney convened who appeared on the ing it usurps power from
From left, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., Rep. Tom Graves, R-Ga., a bipartisan group of law- same program, agreed: Congress and could set
and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the top Republican on the bi- makers at Camp David, "We are not to the point a precedent for a future
partisan group bargainers working to craft a border security the presidential retreat in where we can announce Democratic president to
compromise in hope of avoiding another government shut- northern Maryland. While a deal." declare an emergency for
down, speak with reporters after a briefing with officials about the two sides seemed close But Mulvaney did signal a liberal political cause.
the US-Mexico border, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednes-
day, Feb. 6, 2019. Shelby is chairman of the Senate Appropria- to clinching a deal late that the White House would The fight over ICE deten-
tions Committee. last week, significant gaps prefer not to have a re- tions goes to the core of
Associated Press remain and momentum peat of the last shutdown, each party's view on immi-
appears to have slowed. which stretched more than gration.
BORDER SECURITY Representatives, and the Though congressional a month, left more than Republicans favor tough
Continued from Front mood among bargainers Democratic aides assert- 800,000 government work- enforcement of immigra-
The White House had has soured, according to ed that the dispute had ers without paychecks, tion laws and have little
asked for $5.7 billion, a fig- people familiar with the ne- caused the talks to break forced a postponement of interest in easing them if
ure rejected by the Demo- gotiations not authorized to off, it was initially unclear the State of the Union ad- Democrats refuse to fund
cratic-controlled House of speak publicly about pri- how damaging the rift dress and sent Trump's poll the Mexican border wall.
numbers tumbling. As sup- Democrats despise the pro-
port in his own party began posed wall and, in return
to splinter, Trump surren- for border security funds,
dered after the shutdown want to curb what they see
hit 35 days without getting as unnecessarily harsh en-
money for the wall. forcement by ICE.
This time, Mulvaney sig- People involved in the talks
naled that the White House say Democrats have pro-
may be willing to take what- posed limiting the number
ever congressional money of immigrants here illegally
comes — even if less than who are caught inside the
Trump's goal — and then U.S. — not at the border —
supplement that with other that the agency can de-
government funds. tain. Republicans say they
"The president is going to don't want that cap to ap-
build the wall. That's our ply to immigrants caught
attitude at this point," Mul- committing crimes, but
vaney said on Fox. "We'll Democrats do.
take as much money as In a series of tweets about
you can give us, and we'll the issue, Trump used the
go find the money some- dispute to cast Democrats
where else, legally, and as soft on criminals. He
build that wall on the south- charged in one tweet: "The
ern border, with or without Border Committee Demo-
Congress." crats are behaving, all of
The president's supporters a sudden, irrationally. Not
have suggested that Trump only are they unwilling to
could use executive pow- give dollars for the obvious-
ers to divert money from ly needed Wall (they over-
the federal budget for wall rode recommendations of
construction, though it was Border Patrol experts), but
unclear if he would face they don't even want to
challenges in Congress or take muderers into custo-
the courts. One provision dy! What's going on?"q