US steels itself as shutdown is set to continue

Showing signs of compromise, the White House has signaled talks to reopen the federal government could produce a deal in which US President Donald Trump moves away from his demand that a proposed barrier along the southern border be a concrete wall.

The possible concession, which comes days after Trump had floated a barrier of steel instead of a concrete wall, came even as a top official warned that the shutdown, now in its third week, could “drag on a lot longer.”

Trump, speaking to reporters outside the White House yesterday, repeated his threat that if he is unhappy with negotiations in a few days, he could declare a national emergency and use the military to construct a wall, circumventing Congress.

He also said he was willing to accept a steel barrier instead of a concrete wall.

Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, said that agreeing to a steel separation would allow Democrats to stick to their refusal to fund a wall.

“That should help us move in the right direction,” said Mulvaney, who is also the head of the Office of Management and Budget.

Democrats have signaled they could accept a deal that precluded a concrete wall but provided funding for a steel barrier.

But they would most probably demand other concessions, such as protections for immigrants brought to the United States as children, otherwise known as Dreamers, or changes to other spending provisions.

Vice President Mike Pence led the administration’s team in the meeting with Democratic negotiators.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and a senior adviser, also attended, along with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Mulvaney.

They were negotiating with senior staff for the top Democrats in Congress, Representative Nancy Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer.

Mulvaney said negotiations between his staff and congressional Democrats were bogged down in technical requests.

“I think this is going to drag on a lot longer. I think that’s by intention,” said Mulvaney, who is serving as the top White House aide in an acting capacity.

Large chunks of the federal government were shut down on December 22 after lawmakers and the president hit an impasse over Trump’s demands to build a wall.

About 800,000 government workers are either furloughed or working without pay.

Trump is demanding that any funding to keep the federal government operational also include US$5.6 billion to begin building a US$23 billion wall along the US border with Mexico.

Trump said yesterday that he should not have to lower his demand for US$5.6 billion in border security funding.

Mulvaney said the latest round of negotiations was “disappointing.”

“We’re asking for US$5.6 billion, they’re offering us zero,” Mulvaney said.

Democratic Senator Doug Jones said the White House has not presented a plan to use the money.

“I think that we have to talk about border security, we haven’t seen a plan to talk about border security,” Jones said. “I’m not going to give wall money just to give wall money. I’d like to see a plan for how that money is going to be spent.”

Democrats also argued that progress on the contentious issue of border security would be difficult while the government was closed.

Pelosi has said Trump’s proposed wall is “immoral” and a “waste of money.”

She added that House Democrats would seek to reopen government agencies next week through piecemeal appropriation bills, starting with the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service.

“This action is necessary so that the American people can receive their tax refunds on schedule,” she said.

A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll showed that 50 percent of the public blame Trump for the shutdown and 7 percent blame Republican lawmakers, against 32 percent who blame Democrats.

Still, Trump reiterated his demand for a border wall in a series of tweets.

“The Democrats could solve the Shutdown problem in a very short period of time,” Trump said. “All they have to do is approve REAL Border Security (including a Wall), something which everyone, other than drug dealers, human traffickers and criminals, want(s) very badly!”