Saturday, January 26, 2019

Shutdown Temporarily Halted

By Douglas V. Gibbs
Author, Speaker, Instructor, Radio Host

No, this is not Donald Trump's "read my lips, no new taxes" moment.  He has not given in, he has simply allowed a three week cease-fire in the battle over the budget, and funding for his border wall.

The bill signed by President Donald Trump yesterday reopens the government for three weeks.  It funds shuttered agencies until February 15, and then at that time the battle-ball gets thrown into the court, again.  Trump believes, during the recess from a government shutdown, that he will be able to persuade the Democrat Party Congress Critters to finance his long-sought wall.

The current three week deal he reached with congressional leaders contains no new money for the wall, but it does end the longest shutdown in U.S. history ... for now.

“This was in no way a concession,” Trump said in a tweet.  “It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!”

The Democrats are proud of their obstructionism.

“The president thought he could crack Democrats, and he didn’t, and I hope it’s a lesson for him,” said the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said of her members: “Our unity is our power. And that is what maybe the president underestimated.”

“If we don’t get a fair deal from Congress, the government will either shut down on Feb. 15, again, or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and Constitution of the United States to address this emergency,” Trump said.

The president has said he could declare a national emergency to fund the border wall unilaterally if Congress doesn’t provide the money.

That would be when the judges would go into action, trying to stop him do that, as well.  I just hope that if that's the road he travels, the President has enough sense to tell the courts to "kiss off."  The courts, after all, according to the U.S. Constitution, have no enforcement power, nor any authority to strike down any of his actions, or executive orders.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary

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