Members of the House Freedom Caucus pointed fingers at Democrats as the real barrier in the border wall funding fight that has shut down the government, but did not reveal what figure they saw as a compromise on the cost.
At issue is billions that President Trump wants for border security, which led to an impasse on a funding bill in the Senate that resulted in a partial shutdown of the government starting midnight Saturday.
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said that money needs to be used for a physical barrier, not for more general border security needs.
“One of the challenges is the Democrats continue to try to constrain the ways the administration could execute the physical barrier with the use of fencing, walling, drones, other forms of technology, that in pilot programs are working to seize cartel members and others who are trying to bring special interest aliens into the country,” Gaetz said in a Sunday afternoon interview on Fox News.
When pressed on how much he and other members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus would accept as part of the deal, Gaetz said it would depend how that funding is restricted. Trump has demanded more than $5 billion for the wall, while Democratic leaders offered $1.3 billion for border security in a White House meeting earlier this month.
“If the money has max flexibility for the administration to strategically secure our border, there probably is a number less — that doesn’t start with a five — that we could be okay with. But we’ve got to see Senate Democrats come up from 1.3; 1.3 is not the answer, 1.6 is not the answer,” he said.
Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., accused Democrats of making sure the shutdown lasts longer than it should.
“What we’ve found is, we found a wall on the Democrats’ side, because they’re not willing to do anything and yet it’s just not a position that’s defensible,” said Meadows earlier in the day on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.”
Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, said Republicans want a compromise. When asked by host Maria Bartiromo what Republicans are looking for in that deal, Meadows said anywhere from $1.6 billion to $5 billion.
“[There are] a number of conservatives who believe the $5 billion was already a concession. When you look at $25 billion to build a wall, the president has already come down to $5 billion. There is room in there,” said Meadows, who met with Trump and other conservative leaders during lunch Friday.
The shutdown will last at least until Thursday, the next regular session of Congress, but may stretch into next year. Democrats become the majority in the House of Representatives on Jan. 3.
