🎂 Happy Abraham Lincoln Day! California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico and New York embrace today as a public holiday, thanks to the 16th president. **** A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced late Monday night they had hammered out an agreement “in principle” on a spending deal to fund a quarter of the government and avoid another shutdown ahead of Friday’s midnight deadline. The breakthrough came just moments before President Trump took the stage for his first reelection campaign rally of the 2020 presidential election cycle in El Paso, Texas, a border town the White House has sought to highlight as an example of where a border wall works. Lawmakers did not disclose official details of a proposal that would cover the fiscal year through Sept. 30, but text is expected later today. Meanwhile, some key elements of the agreement leaked: - $1.375 billion for 55 new miles of bollard fencing.
- An increase in spending for the Department of Homeland Security.
- A decrease in the number of beds at border detention facilities.
The Hill: Lawmakers reach tentative agreement to avert new shutdown. The Associated Press: Budget deal allows for less wall money than Trump wanted. Trump did not signal which way he’d fall on the compromise, but his allies immediately cast the deal as insufficient. “Any Republican that supports this garbage compromise, you will have to explain it.” — Fox News Channel host Sean Hannity “I think he has to declare a national emergency.” – Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) The president has been holding out for $5.7 billion for a border wall, so the appropriations for fencing will likely be insufficient. Still, Trump could sign the spending bill to avoid the shutdown and continue with the White House plan to declare a national emergency or some other go-around that would circumvent Congress and reprogram federal money to go toward a wall. "Maybe progress has been made, and maybe not … We probably have some good news. But who knows? ... The wall's being built ... at a rapid pace." — Trump Tuesday night was also notable for being the unofficial start of the 2020 election cycle. Beneath banners that read “Finish the Wall,” Trump ran through his greatest hits, railing against socialism and boasting about his crowd size before thousands of energized supporters in red “Make America Great Again” hats. Trump leaned into his speech, which was just shy of 90 minutes. He tackled trade, socialism, nominations, the Second Amendment, the Alamo, abortion and much more. At one point, he entertained the idea of getting a dog. But Trump dismissed the notion, suggesting prior presidents had dogs for political purposes and it would be “phony” for him to bring a canine into the White House. Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-Texas), who could enter the presidential race as a top contender for the Democratic nomination by the end of the month, held a competing rally in his hometown just a couple of miles away, providing a nice split-screen for what lies ahead. “We were all challenged by a young man who lost an election to Ted Cruz…you’re supposed to win in order to run … he’s got very little going for him except he’s got a great first name.” — Trump “At this moment, if there’s any doubt about whether together we can make a stand that generations that follow us will be grateful for, have no doubt, we have done it before. We are made of great stuff. This community produces great people. We are the example that the United States of America needs right now.” — O’Rourke, switching between English and Spanish Trump’s crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “USA! USA!” O’Rourke’s crowd broke into chants of “Sí se puede! Sí se puede!” The Hill: Trump, O’Rourke battle over wall at dueling rallies. © Twitter |