Senate Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday appeared ready to back a broad border security and spending deal in order to prevent a second government shutdown after Feb. 15, even though neither party got all that they wanted.
President Trump won some border barrier money, but it was far less than he sought, while Democrats had to back off of their demand to cap illegal immigrant detentions and give up on their pledge to provide zero funding for physical barriers along the southern border.
Senators said the drive to avoid another shutdown seemed to create a new flexibility within both parties.
“It’s amazing how shutdown fatigue challenges your flexibility on things,” Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said Tuesday after Republicans were briefed on the deal.
Negotiators worked to sell the accord to Democrats and Republicans in separate meetings in the Capitol. A bipartisan team of lawmakers struck the deal late Monday and legislative text is expected on Wednesday.
Lawmakers said the terms aren’t perfect, but are good enough to pass the measure into law by Friday, when a temporary bill funding nine government departments and dozens of agencies expires.
Both parties are desperate to avoid another shutdown after a 35-day partial closure earlier this year seriously hobbled federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, and left 800,000 workers without paychecks.
Polls showed the public largely blamed Trump for the shutdown. A smaller but significant number of respondents also blamed Democrats. The public response left lawmakers on both sides of the aisle more eager to end their stalemate over border security.
“As in all bipartisan agreements, everybody had to give something,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
Both Schumer and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urged Trump to sign the legislation.
“It’s not everything the president hoped to get, but I think it’s a good step in the right direction,” McConnell said. “I hope he’ll decide to sign it.”
The deal provides $1.375 billion for physical barriers along 55 miles of southern border — far less than the $5.7 billion for 200 miles of fencing Trump was seeking.
“I don’t think anybody is going to love it,” Cramer said of the deal. “But when you put it in the context of avoiding another shutdown, it’s certainly a step in the right direction.”
Cramer said he believes lawmakers and Trump are suffering from shutdown fatigue, but more importantly, he added, “We know the public is.”
Democrats said Tuesday they are also prepared to back the measure. They were forced to abandon a demand to cap Immigration and Customs Enforcement immigrant detentions, which they have labeled inhumane.
But they won a reduction in funding for detention beds needed to house those who are arrested by ICE. Democrats said the funding would cut the number of beds from 49,057 today to 40,520 by the end of the fiscal year, which is Sept. 30. That works out to an average daily population of 45,000 detainees.
Republicans said the deal allows the Trump administration to tap into additional $750 million that could be reprogrammed to provide a total of 52,000 detention beds if needed. The legislation would ultimately provide more funding for detention beds, not less, GOP aides said, countering the claim by Democrats.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said the reprogrammable funds alleviates the worry among Republicans that detentions would be limited this year.
“That would be acceptable,” Graham said.
Democratic leaders have given the agreement their blessing and said they are eager to avoid another shutdown.
“The fact is, finally, for the first time in a while, Congress has done it’s job and we’ve reached a compromise to move this country forward,” said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who was on the negotiating team.
Republican leaders and other GOP lawmakers said they still want to examine the text of the legislation before giving their final approval, signaling a simmering partisan distrust over government funding accords.
McConnell said he wants to ensure no language was added, taken out, or changed that diverts from the parameters of the agreement outlined Monday. Others also want to give the bill a closer look.
“I’ve been assured a lot of things at lunch to find out at dinner they are not in there,” Graham said. “I want to see it in writing.”
