McCarthy says Dems gave into Trump on border wall
By Juliegrace Brufke - 02/12/19 11:07 AM EST
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) on Tuesday said Democrats gave into President Trump’s request for a wall.
“You have to remember where [Speaker] Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was - she who said no money for a wall that’s not the case,†he said during an appearance on CNBC. "The Democrats have now agreed to more than 55 miles of new barrier being built.â€
Congressional negotiators announced they had come to an “agreement in principle†on a government funding deal on Monday evening. The measure is expected to include $1.375 billion to build a barrier along the border, the amount included in the 2018 fiscal year bill.
McCarthy cited the funding for bollard fencing as a win for Republicans, who have largely stood with the president’s demand for a border wall.
He also pointed to the deal’s flexibility in the number of beds at detention facilities — a sticking point for negotiators over the weekend — as a concession from Democrats.
"The Democrats changed course when they said, 'There would be no detention beds,'" he continued. "They backed away on that. Now we are able to have those detention beds again. It's not as high a number as we would have liked."
It remains unclear whether President Trump will support the agreement.
Appropriators said they hope to have legislative text for the bill by Wednesday. Lawmakers have until Friday to pass a bill to avert a second government shutdown this year.
https://thehill.com/homenews/house/429589-mccarthy-says-dems-gave-into-trump-on-border-wall