The Washington Outsider

Trump Can End Government Shutdown And Achieve Partial Victory By Forcing Democrats to Debate Border Security

1/11/2019

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​The US government shutdown over border wall funding is setting fresh records as it creates a growing list of intensifying problems.  Attempted negotiations between the President and Congressional Democrats have barely commenced before they have quickly degenerated into public spectacles due to an impasse over the proposed wall.  Meanwhile, Congressional Republicans appear unlikely to join their Democratic colleagues any time soon in ending the shutdown by overriding the President’s veto.  For his part, President Donald Trump, who feels compelled to achieve a perceived victory at all costs, is trying to find a way out of the self-made crisis through alternative funding paths that would allow him to build his wall by circumventing Congressional approval.  Trump would, presumably, sign legislation to open the government once funding for his wall was secure.  One potential option entertained by the Trump Administration is the abuse of emergency powers over a non-eminent threat to divert funding to the 234 mile long steel barrier.  It is an option that would allow Mr. Trump and Democrats to save face, but it would also create a myriad of legal challenges the President likely could not survive.  The simple truth is that one side has to lose to win, but the question is which one.
​In many respects, it is actually the Democrats who have far more to lose by yielding to the President.  Not only will they enrage key demographics of their voter base by simply giving the President what he wants, especially after Americans were forced to endure the costs of a lengthy government shutdown, their capitulation will encourage the President to utilize crushing pressure tactics on a more regular basis.  It is important to recognize the government shutdown is over a relatively trivial budget item and a minor component of border security.  At this point, capitulation by Democrats will either guarantee an increased frequency of government shutdowns or increased Executive overreach in terms of setting the legislative agenda of Congress.  If the President, in contrast, decides to yield, he will take heat from a minority of his supporters for surrendering, but he can easily frame himself as the responsible party.  He can also force Congress to debate border security and devise a public policy solution in line with their Constitutional responsibly by forging a short-term deal that keeps the shutdown threat in place.  If the President can accept a good-faith effort on behalf of Democrats, the onus of the next shutdown would be displaced onto Democrats.
 
In the past, Democrats have supported the construction of barriers along the US-Mexican border.  These include the 2013 Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act and the Secure Fence Act of 2006.  Both authorized hundreds of miles of fencing along the nearly 2,000 mile US-Mexican border that far exceeded the length of Trump’s wall, though the current barrier is larger size.  These past legislative attempts also included other provisions that allowed officials to address other aspects of illegal immigration.  Illegal immigration to the US has sharply declined in the past decade.  Given that the proposed barrier can be breached using common tools, it is actually designed to be easily repaired in anticipation of breaches, Trump’s border wall is intended to simply give US Border Patrol agents additional time to respond to illegal border crossings.  The President has requested funds to hire nearly 2,750 Patrol agents and 75 judges to process cases.  The problem is that a vast majority of smuggling and human trafficking is not taking place where Trump wants to build his wall.  
 
Aside from using drones, underground tunnels, and waterways to smuggle illicit goods and people into the US, smugglers are using legal border crossings and ports of entry to undertake their operations.  The United States needs to invest in the technologies and infrastructure needed to quickly and effectively disrupt smuggling activity in these locations where the majority of illegal border activity is occurring.  The US has already invested large sums of money, which are still less than the cost of a real wall, into so-called virtual fences in order to give border patrol agents the resources needed to effectively respond to illegal border crossings and track those who illegally cross into the US.  As such, what limited protections the Trump wall offers is probably less significant than most Americans realize.  The sum of $5.7 billion is a trivial sum in terms of the US government budget, but the cost-benefit analysis does not likely favor building Trump’s wall.  It certainly does not justify the cost of a historic government shutdown in terms of dollars, politics, and civil service as well as the security threats it is creating.  That is what an actual debate over the Trump border wall would reveal.
 
Although an actual debate by legislators would not likely favor the President’s position, he needs to facilitate such a public engagement in order to force Congress to fulfill its Constitutional duty and address border security.  That is, if border security is truly the goal of his demands.  With that said, the simple truth is that legislators, especially Democrats, cannot support funding for his border wall proposal.  Not only did he make it a political non-starter by dramatizing the threat posed by illegal immigration through the use of racially-charged fear warmongering, he has essentially taken the US government hostage in order to force Congress to accept his public policy preference without debate or compromise.  It is the responsibility of Congress to set the legislative agenda and the job of the President to simply approve or disapprove of legislation.  If he wants to push an agenda, he needs to work through sympathetic members of Congress.  Just as the demands of criminals cannot be appeased in a hostage situation, the demands of the President cannot be accepted.  Trump can achieve a partial victory and end to the shutdown by embracing a compromise that compels legislators to do their jobs and debate border security options. 
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        • Recognizing Abuse
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      • Relating Circular, Inductive, and Deductive Reasoning to the Scientific Method and Religion
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      • The Need for Greater Economic Leverage >
        • Evaluating NAFTA and TPP
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        • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
        • Haitians Sue the UN for Failure to Help With Cholera
        • Looking at How Corn-based Ethanol and Other Alternative Energy Subsidies Stack Up
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        • Irish Sovereignty Lost Before Bailout
        • Why Sudan's Greatest Long-Term Hurdle is Our Lowest-bidder Economy
        • Reduce US Imports by Buying American Made Products
      • Ending the need for government support and tackling poverty
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        • On Questioning the Need to Address Economic Disparity
        • Minimum Wage is Not the Problem
        • Responding to the "Blip"
        • Why Education Is Not The Civil Rights Issue Of The Twenty-First Century
      • Considering the Impact of the Capital Gains Tax Deduction
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        • The Negatives of Socialism
      • Stealing Intellectual Property
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      • Is Technology Threatening Jobs?
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      • Primary Education in America and the Changing Needs of Society
      • The Greatness of the American Education System
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      • Are Teachers Treated as Professionals?
      • Is Engaging Parents in Their Children's Education a Major Factor in Turning Around Low-performing Schools?
      • Should Grants Be Awarded to School Districts that Try Innovative Methods to Improve Student Achievement?
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      • On Reading the US Constitution
      • The Senate should not do more to limit the powers of the Judicial Branch
      • On the DOJ Justifying the “targeted Killings” of US Citizens
      • Corporations Do Not Have the Same Rights as US Citizens >
        • Corporate America Pleads the First
      • Discussing the Constitutionality of Per Capita Taxes
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      • Should the Bible Continue to Be Used for Swearing-in Ceremonies and in Courtrooms?
      • Should Religious Student Clubs Be Allowed in Public Schools?
      • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
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        • Are We Losing Our Second Amendment Rights
      • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
      • Should a Woman Have the Right to Choose Abortion? >
        • Should Fathers Be Able to Opt Out of Parenthood?
      • Should Smoking Be Allowed in Public Places?
      • Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
      • Should US Companies Be Required to Provide Equal Pay to Women and Men?
      • Is eighteen too young to vote?
      • First Amendment Rights: The Priviledge of The Press
      • Do Mandatory Seat Belt Laws Violate Individual Rights?
      • Should cell phone use be banned while driving?
      • Dealing with the link between video game violence and children's behavior
      • Should police have to submit to routine drug and alcohol testing?
      • Public schools should not impose mandatory drug testing on students
      • Are High Taxes on Cigarettes Proper?
      • Should pharmacists be required to violate their religious beliefs and dispense the "Morning After Pill?"
      • Should school counselors uphold patient privacy or report students who become unstable?
  • For the record
    • Ongoing Issues >
      • Red Dawn in Ukraine: Understanding the Actions of Russia >
        • On Russia’s Coercion of Ukraine
        • The Russian Annexation of Crimea in the Eyes of the World
        • Putin Has Overplayed His Hand With Crimea
        • Ukraine in Terms of Resovereignization
        • Avoiding a Conflict Between America and Russia Over Ukraine
        • What Drives the World’s Interest in Russia’s Actions in Ukraine
      • China’s Aggressive Pursuit of Interests Demands a Global Response
      • Iran Makes a Deal: A Start to a Long-term Diplomatic Effort to Denuclearize Iran >
        • On the Future of a Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
      • America's Sphere of Influence: Retaking South-East Asia >
        • Power in Asia: Looking at the Power Shift in Japan
        • The China Paradox: Why America is Worried About China
      • Assessing US Support of Israel >
        • Tread Softly Israel for a Heavy Step May Be Your Undoing
      • Understanding the Dysfunctional Nature of the US-Pakistani Relationship
      • Recognizing the True Threat Behind the Current Unrest in the Middle East >
        • Reacting to the Escalating Crackdown in Syria
      • Assessing the Threat of North Korea >
        • Answering North Korea's Call for Food Aid: Breaking the Vicious Cycle Forced Upon Us by a Warring Nation
        • Dealing with the Restarting of the Korean War
        • North Korea Attacks South Korea
      • Dealing with the Ill-effects of Climate Change
      • Racial Inequality and Oppression Do Truly Exist in Today's Society
      • Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?
      • An overview of world wide Human Rights violations
      • Nuclear Threat from Pakistan
      • Return of The Cold War?
    • World >
      • Coverage of FIFA World Cup is a Chance to Focus on Poverty >
        • The FIFA World Cup Offers Benefits for More Than Brazilian Soccer Fans
        • FIFA Can Bring Brazilians Together as a Nation
      • Being Prepared for Any Potential Dangers at the FIFA World Cup Games
      • Treading Softly on the Politicizing of the 2014 Sochi Olympics Over Gay Rights
      • Why NATO Operations in Libya Lack a Well-defined Mission
      • China Hijacks the Web
      • Lessons from the Great Japanese Earthquake of 2011
      • A Modernizing Cuba Offers an Opportunity for Capitalists
      • The Seeds of Democracy Take Root in the Middle East
      • The Rebirth of Democracy in Tunisia
      • What May Come from the Hurt Revolution in Libya
      • Responding to the Violence of Qaddafi and Other Besieged Leaders
      • Embracing the Rise of a Democratic Egypt
      • Protests in Afghanistan Turn Deadly for Coalition Forces and UN Personnel
      • Haiti: Another Failing Humanitarian Investment
      • What Karzai Can Learn from Calderon
      • START II: A Necessary, Easy Success that Nearly Failed
      • Why Does the U.S. Government Support Independence for the Breakaway Serb Territory of Kosovo but Oppose Independence for the Breakaway Georgian Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
      • Iraq's Electric Issues: When Human Wants Trump Economic Sense
      • The International Community Reacts to Wikileaks: We May Be Moving Toward a Third World War in Cyberspace
      • On Climate Gate
      • Assessing Obama's Afghanistan War strategy
      • 2009 Iranian Presidential Election: The Fallout
      • Resolving Sri Lankan Conflict through Free Media
      • What are the Global Consequences of Russia's Invasion of Georgia
      • The War in Iraq: an assessment of President Bush's surge strategy
      • Drug War: Actions of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador in terms of Resovereignization
      • Is the Iraq Refugee Crisis America's Responsibility?
      • US support for a united Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: why?
      • Should the US withdraw from Iraq?
      • Setting a Timetable for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq is a Terrible Mistake
      • War on Terrorism is needed
    • Law and Order >
      • Rape in the US Military
      • Ethics of Force-feeding Guantanamo Bay Detainees
      • Reacting to the Aftermath of the Tucson Massacre
    • Economy >
      • Affordability Drives Fear of Obamacare and the Individual Mandate
      • Is the Economy Built for a Job's Recovery?
      • Gutting Healthcare Reform of the Individual Mandate
      • Arizona Budget Cuts Lead to Lethal Healthcare Rationing:
      • Shameful Collection Practices of American Banks
      • The Fed Reveals it Actually Undertook an International Bailout
      • Thoughts on French Budgetary Reforms
      • Seniors Start Businesses
      • The Case for Slimming Down the US Military to Make it Better
      • Looking at the Obama Administration's New Approach to Economic Policy
      • Should the Government Regulate the Credit Card Industry?
      • The Big Three's Big Chance
      • The Unhealthy Tone of the Healthcare Reform Debate
      • Should the federal government offer a bailout for home owners?
      • Environmentalists: Do They Do More Good Than More Harm?
      • Responding to Scott Walker's Contribution to the War on Unions
    • US Government >
      • America Needs to Focus on the Impending Fiscal Crisis
      • Reacting to the Bush Era-tax Cut Extension Deal
      • Quitting the Obama Revolution: The Fickle Nature of American Politics
      • John Boehner's Circus
      • Is the Fed Putting Itself in Jeopardy?
      • Wikileaks Goes After the US State Department
      • Discussing the Political Environment Surrounding the 2011 Budget Debate
      • What the Democrats Can Do to Ensure a GOP Year in 2012
      • What the 2010 Midterm Actually Said
      • Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper
      • Democrats Minus Nancy Pelosi Equals Opportunity
      • Terrorists Go Postal: The Terrorism Threat Reexamined
      • Victory in the 2008 Election: Reaction to Barack Obama'a Win >
        • Expectations for Barack Obama
      • President Obama's first one hundred days
      • John McCain's Negative Campaign
      • Reasons People did not Elect John Mccain
      • History judges the George W. Bush Administration
      • Should the next US President focus on domestic issues?
      • President Bush, should he resign or be impeached
      • Should the Ban on Government Sponsored Assassinations be Repealed
    • Off Topic >
      • A Face of America’s Greatest Generation
      • A Story About a Man Who Made the World a Better Place
      • Making the World a Better Place
      • The Bipolar Ethical Nature of Google
      • Learning Computer Plays Jeopardy
      • Verifying Medicine is the Real Thing
      • Taking a Practical Step Forward in Optical Computing Using Slow Light
      • Scientists Take a Closer Look at How Lithium Batteries Work
      • Remarking on the First Blizzard of the 2010-2011 Winter Season
      • Driving in the Snow: Acceleration is the Key
      • How People in Northwest PA Are Coping with the Increasing Cost of Oil
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