WASHINGTON — Louisiana Republicans are digging in behind President Donald Trump’s demand for money to build a wall along the border with Mexico as part of any deal to avoid a partial government shutdown just before Christmas.
For Louisiana’s Republican members of Congress, Trump’s ultimatum over $5 billion of wall construction funding represents a commitment to securing the country’s southern border — and Democratic opposition to the request amounts to stubborn political gamesmanship.
Democratic leaders, meanwhile, accused Trump of playing reckless political games and holding part of the government hostage to fulfill his campaign pledge to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer sat down with Trump on Tuesday in a remarkable televised meeting at the White House during which Trump declared he’d be "proud to shut down the government" if Democrats don’t meet his demands. Democrats reiterated their opposition to increasing border security spending by more than $1.6 billion.
"I will take the mantle. I will be the one to shut it down," Trump told the Democratic Party leaders.
Republicans on Capitol Hill — including those from Louisiana — didn’t embrace Trump’s apparent pride in a potential shutdown. But they did express support for the president’s decision not to back down in the showdown.
Congress hasn’t yet approved spending for several federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the border, as well as Justice, State and Transportation. Hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be furloughed over the holidays and access to the national parks affected.
Louisiana’s lone Democrat in Washington, Rep. Cedric Richmond of New Orleans, expressed some optimism that Republicans would blink during the standoff. In a brief interview, Richmond said he anticipates both sides striking a deal to avert a partial shutdown just before the holidays.
“I think we’ll find some middle ground,” said Richmond. “I have a 4-year-old so I’m going home for Christmas, make no mistake about it.”
Democrats have been largely opposed to building a physical wall along long stretches of the border with Mexico, a key Trump campaign slogan, and have shown little interest in giving Trump the money to build it. Democrats have offered to increase funding for border security but have pressed for most of the funds to go toward agents, improved surveillance or other projects.
A potential deal to fund construction of the wall in exchange for legal protections for the “Dreamers” — those who grew up in the U.S. after being brought to the country illegally as children — fell apart amid bitter disagreements over whether to offer “Dreamers” a path to American citizenship and whether to cut legal immigration levels.
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, said a potential deal remained on the table exchanging protections for those people — who'd been given semi-legal status by former President Barack Obama under his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — for border-wall funding. But previous efforts to strike that deal failed after the parties clashed over the extent of those legal protections.
"I agree with President Trump that we must build the wall. I hope Democrats will help us secure the border and stop the flow of deadly drugs into our country," said Cassidy.
"I will vote to fund the government and fund the wall, and if Democrats vote against the bill, they will be shutting down the government in support of illegal immigration for the second time this year," Cassidy added, making reference to a brief shutdown in January over Democratic demands to extend legal protections for people brought to the country illegally as children.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson Parish, said Wednesday night on Fox News that Trump had “called Democrats’ bluff” over their opposition to the border wall.
“President Trump ran on securing the border,” said Scalise. “It’s time we (Republicans) back him up on it.”
Pelosi, who will likely become speaker of the House when Democrats take control in January, suggested repeatedly Thursday that House Republicans also don’t have enough votes to pass funding for the border wall without Democratic help.
Some moderate Republicans have been skeptical about building a physical wall along the border while others defeated in the November midterm election haven’t been showing up for votes.
House Republicans insisted they could pass a bill but were holding off until a deal was struck in the Senate, where at least nine Democrats would be needed to pass any spending bill.
Republicans will have less leverage in Congress come January, when a new Democratic majority will take control of the House.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-Louisiana, told reporters throughout the week that he didn’t think Trump would back down off his demands. Kennedy said he shared Trump’s enthusiasm for building a border wall but demurred when asked by The Advocate if, like the president, he would be “proud” to partly shut down the federal government in a fight over funding it.
“I’m not going to comment on that, the president can explain or defend his own words,” Kennedy said Wednesday. “I don’t want government to shut down — but that’s up to the Democrats.”
Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, said a potential deal remained on the table exchanging protections for those people — who'd been given semi-legal status by former President Barack Obama under his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — for border-wall funding. But previous efforts to strike that deal failed after the parties clashed over the extent of those legal protections.
"I agree with President Trump that we must build the wall. I hope Democrats will help us secure the border and stop the flow of deadly drugs into our country," said Cassidy.
"I will vote to fund the government and fund the wall, and if Democrats vote against the bill, they will be shutting down the government in support of illegal immigration for the second time this year," Cassidy added, making reference to a brief shutdown in January over Democratic demands to extend legal protections for people brought to the country illegally as children.
Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, said Wednesday evening that he suspected Pelosi’s bid to become speaker when Democrats take control of the House of Representatives in January was driving her tough bargaining position.
Graves said he supports building a wall along stretches of the border — in addition to higher-tech security options in more remote areas — and accused Pelosi and other Democrats of playing political games ahead of the funding deadline.
“I’m not saying we shouldn’t have immigration, I’m not saying we shouldn’t let people into this country, but what I am saying is we need to secure our border,” Graves said.
Rep. Ralph Abraham, R-Alto, blamed Democrats for not bending to Republicans’ requests for border security and wall funding over the past year. Although Abraham said he doesn’t want a partial shutdown, he suggested that funding for the wall will remain a sticking point.
“Democrats have been steadfastly opposed to every effort we’ve tried over the last year to better secure our border, and their complete unwillingness to compromise has certainly contributed to this situation,” Abraham said. “I’m willing to find common ground, but I want wall money.”
Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Bossier, echoed that position. Johnson, the newly elected chairman of the conservative House Republican Study Committee, said his fellow conservatives don’t want a shutdown but were ready to challenge Democrats.
“Senate Democrats say they are committed to border security, but refuse to budge on common sense measures to achieve it,” Johnson said in a statement. “It's well past time they prove their 'commitment' is more than a mere talking point."
Acadiana Congressman Clay Higgins went even further, urging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to change U.S. Senate rules in order to steamroll Democrats and pass the funding bills with a simple all-Republican majority, a change commonly referred to as the "nuclear option."
"We could deliver a win for border security and avert a shutdown by ending this ridiculous and arbitrary rule," said Higgins, R-Port Barre. Higgins went on to accuse Democrats of siding with "illegal immigrants over the interests of American citizens."