Let’s limit this report to facts. Here they are – and at the end of this list, you draw the conclusion that best fits your view, based on common sense. Here are the ten most salient facts related to border security and the recent shutdown, now approaching week two.
First, according to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 1,100 illegal aliens have been crossing the border daily between the Rio Grande and Yuma sectors. This does not include the “caravans,” massing slowly south of San Diego, to seek “asylum” from persecution south of Mexico.
Second, the overall trend in border penetration is growing, after an initial stall that followed President Trump’s election and hardline 2017 position on illegal entrants. Public projections for refugee flows north are a reaction to three factors: Rule of law challenges and narcotics-trafficking violence in Central America, more left-leaning Mexican administration, and a 2.3 million refugee outflow crisis from the cratering Venezuelan socialist crisis. None of these crises will dissipate soon; they must be prepared for.
Third, recent events in the United States indicate that a 2018 nexus exists between elevated illegal alien population, expanding “sanctuary” cities, and drug-related violence (spiking in certain cities, reflective of the national drug crisis). The nexus is contributing to a broad rise in crime, with the murder rate up (e.g. in Baltimore, DC, cities in Texas) and broader violent crime spiking (e.g. in key parts of Texas, Iowa, Michigan, New York, Indiana, California, New Mexico, Louisiana, Illinois, Virginia, Georgia, Missouri, and even South Dakota). Nor are the rises incremental – they are material. Then, last week, a California law enforcement agent was killed by an illegal alien – whose prior crimes were not reported to ICE based on sanctuary protection for the criminal alien in California. The crime is viewed by some as a pointer, to future events – if the border, ICE, CBP and national law enforcement are not supported.
Fourth, cross-border drug trafficking from international sources of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, other dangerous synthetics and marijuana – is experiencing a steep rise, as are concomitant addiction numbers in every drug category, according to a recent national assessment by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The report is corroborated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This can only be addressed by direct, proactive counter-narcotics and border security policies.
Fifth, the pending legislation – which is not being signed by the President for lack of five billion dollars to support a border barrier (e.g. wall) – is a composite of seven outstanding (incomplete) appropriations bills. Ground truth: The bills total almost one trillion dollars, with roughly 322 billion in “discretionary” money that could be moved around by Congress; the rest is untouchable “entitlements.” Within the 322 billion – passed by House and Senate, but only House included five billion for a wall – are Senate “marks” that elevate federal spending on programs for things like Housing and Urban Development (HUD), foreign aid, above the president’s request. Example: $43.6 billion for HUD that is $11.9 billion OVER the President’s request. One solution: Just bump up HUD programs by, say, $6.9 billion, allowing the rest for a wall (i.e. five billion).
Sixth, another possible solution would be for Congress to officially allow the President – in this spending bill – to transfer funds from one or another accounts, up to five billion – to allow for the beginning of the formal border security program or wall. That would allow the Democrats – which for some reason want open borders as a national policy – to adopt the (political) fig leaf of no border money, but then allow the President to protect all Americans with a transfer of resources up to five billion dollars, to get the process of securing our sovereign border started.
Seventh, polls of Americans are revealing. First, the “wall” was a signature issue contributing to President Trump’s win in 2016, and by all accounts remains a strong issue for the Republican Party, and some in the Democrat party. Southern states are sensitive to the issue, but it is national in nature. Thus, while some polls tip against the “wall,” many (including liberal polls) put at least 40 percent in favor. More specifically, Gallop (for example) puts 73 percent of Republicans in favor a wall, with 13 percent of Democrats in favor. On the other hand, while most Americans see some value in making a “pathway to citizenship” for 800,000 children of illegals, “sanctuary cities” are firmly opposed by a majority of Americans.
Eighth, the new Mexican President – although tipping hard left – is seeking Mexican support for a more “free-trade zone” idea next to the US border, presumably accommodating Mexican corporate interest in a more US-like enterprise zone that encourages higher wages, lower taxes and more productivity, similar to US options. This zone could be endorsed, in concert with a new US-Mexico trade accord that beefs up US-Mexican border security, reduces drug trafficking, and also helps Mexico contain illegal crossers at its own southern border – and includes the wall. Ironically, a wall under these conditions might help both economies.
Ninth, the so-called partial shutdown is about to get more real – as four things happen: The President calls congressional leaders to get an “up close and personal” border security briefing at the White House this week, which will show effects in their many congressional districts; Democrats take control of the US House, thus also responsibility for shutdown resolution; the southern border crisis gets more severe, on the numbers; and federal workers (between 300,000 and 800,000) begin to face a possible delay in one two-week paycheck.
Tenth, the news will begin to leak out – as this report offers – that the whole resolution is dependent on roughly half of one percent of the pending bill, or less than two percent of the overall discretionary money. In other words, the Democrats could be outed for “grandstanding” and forced to admit that they can resolve this entire impasse – and protect the US border, which is under siege – with a simple transfer of less than two percent of the total pending bill.
Now, take a deep breath. Think on this issue, in context of these material facts. Does it make sense for the US Congress to continue to block the fractional request for money to start President Trumps’ border wall, or not? If not, what is the argument for not funding this commitment? If it makes sense, shouldn’t Congress wake up, sit up and step up – to funding? Is it not common sense to end the shutdown, and protect America’s borders?
Common sense? The Democrats are in no mood to compromise or show any common sense as the author of this article states. They are about to take control of the House and they fully intend to milk this for all its worth. They are gearing up for the 2020 elections and intend to do everything in their power to try and get a Progressive (Socialist) Democrat in the White House in 2020. Welcome to the first of many examples of how the next two years will play out now that the Democrats control one half of Congress. Elections have consequences. So this is how things are going to work for the next two years.
President Trump was in the White House during the holidays and both Pelosi and Schumer were on vacation. Neither Democrat was interested in discussing the matter. As for the 800,000 federal workers temporarily not getting paid, neither Democrat cares. This is about exerting power from the Democrat perspective, not about the financial impact to those 800,000 workers. Schumer and Pelosi know that at least 95 percent of those workers are Democrats. It’s a Democrat run town and has been for decades. So both Nancy and Chuck know they won’t be blamed for this shutdown, no matter how long it drags out or how indifferent to the fate of the federal workers they appear. The MSM will see to that.
Both Democrats also know that many establishment Republicans in Congress, especially in the Senate, are not exactly known for being able to stand their ground for very long. That many are more concerned with how the media portrays them, than supporting the President or the defending the border security of the country. So both Democrat leaders are just waiting for a few Republican Senators to start making noises about “Trump has to be reasonable and compromise (code for the Republicans have to completely surrender to the Dems’ position), so the government can get back to business”. I see Romney, who is already positioning himself for another Presidential run, has already come out with a scathing piece on Trump today. So once again, it is President Trump standing alone against the “the swamp”.
COME SENSE LET THE PRESIDENT BUILD THE WALL
Common sense–the libtard Demorats have no common sense, they are dumber than dirt. Worst of all, Unamerican marxists
The title is a fair question. Sadly, I think the answer is no. Our border desperately needs secured, but the Democrats have played political games for decades admitting the truth of my statement while opposing any real solution by funding that solution. Today they oppose a physical barrier, a wall, to not just dramatically cur illegal immigration but to also impede crime, yet they offer no effective alternative. They have been playing the same anti-American game since at least 1986 and it has not changed. Why? Because they see the illegal flood of immigrants as a benefit to them, especially if they can get eventual amnesty and citizenship so the grateful lawbreakers can vote for them. Making matter even worse today is that the Democrats have positioned themselves to oppose any Trump initiatives knowing that if his policies are successful then he will be harder to defeat in 2020. With the Democrats in control of the House, things have just gotten much worse.
I’ll limit my comments to the facts…….for two (2) years the Republicans controlled the House, Senate and the WH, yet they were unable to get anything done regarding the Wall/border security because Trump could not even convince fellow Republicans to act. Now that the Democrats control the House, does anyone really feel anything meaningful will get done since NOTHING meaningful got done when the Republican were in total charge……very disgusting.
Bravo!!! This says it all.
The Left uses the media to spread LIES to win their battles. They are win at all cost. Emotion overrules Common Sense no matter the cost to dignity.
Common sense dictates a BORDER WALL! Look at what these illegals are doing now to try to invade our Country. They are throwing
projectiles and rocks, etc. at our Border Agents trying to get over the border. I don’t think these are the kind of people we want in the United States. They are proving that they are not worthy of coming to our Country.
Those against funding the border wall are acting like spoiled brats. They will go to any lengths to stand in the way of whatever the President has on his agenda. Are they for the American people or not? That’s what it boils down to. We, the people deserve to be protected as any nation has a right to be. Other countries have walls to protect their borders and the United States gave them the funding to do it. Please, let us protect our own.
Get ready for a political war from now until the 2020 elections. I hope everyone is ready for the fight of their lives and pray republicans can win. Unfortunately we have to fight RINO’s like Mitt Romney and the democrats. I took a month off after the midterms, it was exhausting. Here we go again.
There is NO common sense in the demokrat party
All points to a wall. The Dems hate Trump! In their minds , a wall is a win for trump and a loss for them! They don’t care about security, they only want votes! Where are the common sense Dems? They have lost there minds!
Heck no….the only way I could see any possible Democrat/RINO change of mind is if the folks on the street wrote to their reps and senators….this is going to be a standoff and the sad part it, more police and citizens minding their own business will be killed….it will be a 3 ring circus, even tho the the people thru the Electoral College voted Pres. Trump in office, their voices have been hushed and ignored by the left and the left media….
If this is how the Dems are going to be over the next 2 years, we as Americans have to realize that they HATE AMERICA. The Dems want to do everything possible to tear down American Constitution. Take note how they want to re-write history, how they want gun control, keep people of color “down” and they want Government to control our lives more. It is time for America to Wake Up!!
While we would normally view “compromise” as being an even trade-off, that’s not how it has worked in Washington for decades. The left has always come out with more than the conservative side when “compromise” is mentioned by the GOP. There’s an old saying about how the GOP has negotiated with the left and it goes like this – “yes, we will give you (fill in the blank) , but you will have to allow for it to be phased in over a period of time rather than all at once”. By doing things in that way, the GOP members who surrender or are part of the progressive agenda are protected from backlash since the distasteful results are oozed in quietly without much, if any, notice.
The democrats hate president Trump. They should play a tape of all the leftists and former presidents giving support for a wall over and over and over until he gets the funding.
So sick of this bunch of traitors. They are not working for the people of this country. They better work together and get this done. The whole damn demonrats party belongs in jail or the trash heap. Especially Chucky and Nancy.
Well , let’s put things in perspective . While everyone is keying in on the ” dumb ” democrats , they are winning every round . Might I say it is the dumb republicans we have elected that have sat there ( and even though they had the muscle ) won’t do diddly squat to help Mr. Trump . So I hope and pray he will stand his ground on this one .
Common sense? Few if any Democrats even know what common sense is.
I was a republican. Not anymore. Never a Democrat. The republicans are almost as much to blame as the democrats. The have done nothing in the 2 years they had control. Boo on the US govt. They could care a less about the real citizens of the USA. President Trump talked about draining the swamp. He should include both parties. Unfortunately the populace doesn’t have the fortitude to get rid of swamp. Absolutely a reason for term limits.
‘Common Sense’ in a Congress packed shock full of socialist, lobbyist-fed greedy politicians tends to mean the opposite. Every time the label ‘Common Sense’ is applied it tends to stand for some lunacy that will further their agenda, or enrich them personally while either destroying individual rights, or endangering the nation as a whole. The only true ‘Common Sense’ solution, in the true meaning of the words and not the type of 1980’s good and ‘bad’ switch, is fund the wall, deport illegals, and NO deals – NO DACA, NO Amnesty!
Common sense is totally lost in the party of fools AKA the Demoncratic Party. There are recorded messages from most of them on how it’s NOT good to have these illegals here, but I guess it all depends on who is in office that determines their decisions these days!!! Funny how they were ALL besties with Trump until he ran for POTUS!!!!!
Send the bulldozers to Schumer & Pelosi’s houses, knock down their walls & put signs in their front yards that read “This house has no guns!”
Two more things: NO PAY 4 congress while fed-gov is shutdown & only 2/3 of their pay until they balance the budget & start paying off the
national debt! Howya like them apples?!!
It all boils down to Democraps begging for votes because American citizens are sick of their outlandish spending, taxing, and being power and control freaks which most conservatives have been aware of for a very long time which some Republican has just recently been reporting. They just figured that out?
Common Sense Democrat is an oxymoron.
Build the wall.
Common sense dictates we build a wall and change our laws to keep illegal aliens out of America. The socialist democrats and RINO politicians need to stand up for Americans, not illegal citizens. They are obligated to work for Americans and no one else. If they can’t do their job of making life better for Americans, they should quit or be fired out of office. There needs to be term limits as politicians get too comfortable in office and work for themselves and not Americans. All illegal aliens need to be thrown out of America and if they come back, they need to be eliminated. Trump has done more in a short time than all politicians together have done together to make life better for Americans.
The Deep State is so concerned with how they look, that the emperor can’t see he or she has no clothes on.
just wait for it, just a little while longer and then the S is going to hit the fan. Go Trump, Finally a President that is doing exactly
what he said he would do, and I don’t think he cares about being president in 2020 and when the Border Wall comes through so will
Trump in 2020. Thank God for Mr. Trump, the first relief we have had in 40 years of Ruined Congress Rule.
There is no question about it, Border security and the rule of law comes first of all budgetary considerations. Pelosi and Schumer are opposed to both and are defaulting to aiding and abetting a lawless invasion of the US by an immigration “bomb”.
The wall worked in East Germany, the fence wall works in Israel. and Vatican city has a huge wall that works, and our military bases works well too.
TERM LIMITS ARE NEEDED! Pelosi and Schumer have been in Congress since the late 1970’s. They are prima donnas not legislatures. Our forefathers never meant our leaders to make lifetime jobs of their positions. George Washington stepped down after two terms and he was a VERY GOOD LEADER’
Common sense is not a tool that the democrats know how to use. Not even the tragedy known as 9/11 was able to get lock-tight border security from either R’s or D’s. Although a percentage of illegals achieve their status by overstaying permitted privileges, the vast majority of illegal aliens got into the U.S. through an unprotected southern border, according to sites I recently read.
The number of crimes they commit is staggering. Those are the numbers President Trump should bring to light, and I hope he does stand his ground on border security. Supporters of an open border STILL claim that illegals commit far FEWER crimes per capita than American citizens. But the truth here is that, because murders are recorded primarily locally or by the states, liberals extrapolate the local numbers to the NATIONAL per capita pool. The GAO reported a few years ago that “criminal aliens committed 22-37% of ALL MURDERS [my caps for emphasis] in the U.S., while being only 3.53-8.25% of the population”. This translates as a “3-10 times higher rate than U.S. inhabitants”. We’ve all heard about the heinous murders of Kate Steinle and Corporal Singh. But here’s another headline: THOSE ARE ONLY TWO OF THE THOUSANDS OF MURDERS COMMITTED EVERY YEAR BY ILLEGAL ALIENS! It’s heartbreaking to read the bios of those who “make the lists”. They look like you, and me, and your sons and daughters. Or your Mom. Horrible.
Illicit drugs getting over the border cost even more lives. That’s tens of thousands of lives lost every d%#$ year! Enough fentanyl gets into the U.S. to kill every man, woman, and child.
Support services that illegals avail themselves of–welfare, EBT cards, help with housing—and the cost of education, health care, fraud, police and the courts, and all the rest, amount to perhaps $hundreds of billions per year. The smallest number was from years ago (2006-?) and was estimated at about $120 billion per year. You don’t need a calculator to realize that these numbers would cover the cost of MANY walls.
A month ago, I read in an editorial from a small town paper that working illegal immigrants (not committing additional crimes, and paying taxes) still manage to get $14,000 per year in assistance. And LEGAL immigrants receive almost $5,000 per year. The reason for this, the editorial explained, is because more recent immigrants, both legal and illegal, do not have the educational background or the same marketable skills that immigrants in the past had. Their earnings do not pay all the bills. (WE do!)
It’s time to take a look at the numbers of people getting into our country–both legally and illegally. It’s time to protect what we have and to get our own books in order before we continue to give away hundreds of billions of dollars worth of assets. Build the wall, or the fence, get drones and border patrol agents down there, and do what the federal government is supposed to do–PROTECT THIS COUNTRY AND ITS CITIZENS.
All those senators and congressmen who oppose the wall need at least 100 illegal’s put in their guarded yards to take care of and after a day they would gladly give the $$$$$ to build the wall,, so what makes them so superior to the voters that elected them to do a job…get some COMMON SENSE quit playing the power hungry mongers that they are and build the wall for WE THE PEOPLE start acting like grown ups and civilized rational individuals.. I know that’s asking a lot
Do you leave your door unlocked? Are you who want NO WALL willing to take into your home and support a family or two? Are you willing to give up your guns that protect you?
Are you realizing they want the vote they plan to get for letting them in? To bring in sickness we have not had to deal with in years. Your families will. Also look at the number murdered, etc. Christians read your Bibles, up to you if you want safety in your country, countries… Thought forgetting about our Lord God was no problem, that makes you or I the problem. Remember God first, our country- our people, and help others as blessed to do so. That is not, me, myself and I.
Common sense and the leadership of the Democratic Party cannot be used in the same sentence, paragraph, page or book! Text that can factually be used regarding the Democratic Party leadership include, prevarication, anti-American, socialism, egregious, Draconian, corrupt, Machiavellian, dereliction of duty and failure to uphold their oath of office. Vote them out!
Using common sense and democrats in the same sentence is an OXY-MORON!
this is what happens when people are more partisan than reasonable. They become politicians and not people looking to the interests of those that elected them. The funny thing is, they don’t think people see this and they look stupid. Mitt Romney is a classic case. He’s walking around with his pants around his ankles, buy what he said, now he has his foot in his mouth. Just picture this literally. How does he do it?
Common sense? It seems to have evaporated from Washington DC long ago. There is far more interest in playing to special interests and “importing” more hopefully left leaning (read Democrat) voters than working with the president to resolve the problems (illegal aliens who collect taxpayer benefits and take away jobs to drugs and other criminal activities which prey upon American citizens and even poor illegals who are afraid to fight back against the criminals).
If a border wall is so immoral as the Democrat leadership now claims (funny how their position shifts with the wind, depending upon who’s in power) why do they live behind high walls with armed security to safeguard them and their property?
Honestly, Democrats and Republicans alike have not acted to solve this problem, many because they dislike common sense solutions proposed by our president to solve the problem once and for all. No, a barrier alone won’t solve the problem but it will at least slow down, deter, and channel perpetrators to points where they can be more easily controlled and prevented from inflicting harm upon our country.
Many argue many of the illegal aliens in this country enter legally via airports, etc and simply overstay their visas. Again, it is Congress’ responsibility to appropriate funding needed to improve technology and other means to identify and deport those who are here illegally. Instead, they spend time on worthless tasks such as naming Post Offices and other federal buildings, passing nonsense proclamations, and generally collecting salaries for not performing the jobs they swore to uphold in support of the American people.
As if the democRat-controlled media is going to report itself as choosing illegal voters over the safety of Americans.
Common Sense? Yes move the money around and build the wall. But I have been seeing so many examples of lack of common sense and even to the point if the term liberal should be closely related with mental illness.
And just what is the purpose for all of that discretionary money? Whose pocket are we lining? Not the ones that need it. And shouldn’t we be holding Congress’s pay checks first? Especially the ones that voted for the shut down?
You keep mixing up “the Wall” with “Border Security”. They are two different things. What people seem to be objecting to is “the Wall” as the sole solution. Can’t we talk about “Border Security” which can use increased manpower, technical solutions and, in places, “the Wall”.
Have our representatives ever asked their constituents how they feel about the wall being built or is that no longer the policy?
Common sense? There isn’t single Democrap that has a lick of that. They’re to stupid or arrogant to admit it.
IF the Democratic Party had common sense it would be a no brainer. They hate President Trump for doing what previous Presidents couldn’t do so if he is for it they are against it.
WE NEED THE WALL!
I’ve given up contacting my Senators. They will only do what Schumer allows them to do. It’s a shame that my representatives cannot take the action to do the right thing and defend our country. This should be remembered during the next election.
If I were President Trump, I would never back down. I would buy time on national TV and lay out the facts. The Democrats would not have a leg to stand on.
Concerning #3 above, the family of the California law enforcement officer should sue the pants off of whatever municipality prevented the murderer’s criminal history from being passed on to ICE! I don’t think the citizens of that sanctuary city would appreciate their leaders getting them into a multi-million dollar payoff! That would stop a lot of this garbage, and other cities would think twice about this!
Congress – end this shutdown & protect our borders NOW! Stop trying to control everything and keep this commitment. Federal workers deserve their pay! Shame on you running off on vacations while people were waiting on earned paychecks over Christmas and New Year holidays! Cry babies, power hungry – get busy and cooperate! You are overpaid and underworked-full of hatred and rebellion.
You do realize that the federal employees not receiving paychecks includes members of the US Coast Guard, don’t you? They fall under the Dept of Homeland Security, not the Dept of Defense as all the other services do. What does the Coast Guard do? Aside from rescuing people in precarious situations at sea they spend most of their time running down drug smugglers and aliens trying to enter the country illegally. Just the very things that a wall would accomplish on land. Does any of this make any sense to you?
The wall has to be built along our southern border. It is a vital national security interest that the WALL be constructed. Our sovereignty is at stake. Both Houses of Congress do your job. Follow the oath you took and put our country first for a change!