During his poorly attended late August rally in Phoenix, Trump claimed that he was willing to shut down the government in order to secure funding for his border wall. Considering that the debt ceiling increase and the federal budget are two key must-pass pieces of legislation, this didn’t seem to be an idle threat. Yet Trump appears to have backed off from this claim, at least for now.
The Washington Post reports that two days after the rally, the White House informed Congress that it would pass a temporary budget resolution regardless of wall funding. Stonewalling the actual budget, however, is still very much on the table:
White House officials quietly notified Congress that the $1.6 billion would not need to be in a “continuing resolution” that was meant to fund government operations from October until sometime in early December, a senior GOP congressional aide said… White House officials have signaled to lawmakers, however, that the wall’s eventual construction remains a top priority for Trump. He wants this funding to be included in the December budget bill, GOP congressional aides said. Trump could still follow through on a threat to shut down the government in December, but this marks the second time he has pulled back from the wall demand to allow lawmakers to pass a budget bill.
Much like the disagreements over the Dreamer program and arguments over tying Harvey aid to lifting the federal debt ceiling, it appears Trump is attempting –in some way –to get a handle on the upcoming appropriations fight looming in Congress. Meanwhile his budget, which arrived in May, is seen by many as politically impossible.
Even so, the wall itself is a problem for Congress. While politicians, including leadership, have supported the idea, it’s unpopular among voters. Even Rasmussen Reports, generally viewed as slanting to the right in its model, with 56% in its poll opposed to the wall. That’s little changed from a poll from the more left-leaning Quinnipiac University poll, which found 58% against the wall. It will also be expensive: The $1.6 billion Trump wants will simply be to begin the basics of construction. It seems likely the policy will be at the center of the budget fight, which will consume much of September.
(Via Washington Post)