Even Congress’ Research Arm Vouches for Trump’s Border Funding Authority

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The political class, including many conservative insiders, will look at you with wild eyes if you suggest that president has the authority to either declare an emergency at our border or use defense funds for an operation that should be the highest priority of national defense. But Congress’ own research arm makes it clear that such delegated authority to the president has been the norm since our Founding.

While many have complained that the 1976 National Emergencies Act (NEA) is too broad, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) memo, which was first posted by the Daily Caller, makes it clear that that this act actually limited the president’s authority relative to what it was before:

By 1973, Congress had enacted over 470 statutes granting the President special authorities upon the declaration of a “national emergency,” but had imposed no substantive or procedural limitations on either the President’s discretion to declare an emergency or the duration of such emergencies. After a Special Committee of the Senate concluded in a 1973 report that the President’s crisis powers “confer[red] enough authority to rule the country without reference to normal constitutional process,” Congress enacted the NEA in 1976 to pare back the President’s emergency authorities.

But if you look at the text of the NEA, the only substantive burdens it placed on the president during such a declaration are to articulate which statue he is using, publish the proclamation in the federal register, and transmit to Congress all relevant regulations and expenditures under such declaration. It also forces the president to renew the declaration every year and authorizes Congress to disapprove of the declaration with a two-thirds vote in both houses. In other words, it mandated more transparency on the president relative to our prior history, but never imposed upon him legally enforceable conditions for determining whether the problem rises to the level of a national emergency.

To give a sense of how common the use of this power is, the CRS notes that “31 national emergencies declared pursuant to the NEA are in effect, with Presidents having renewed certain emergencies for decades.” They also cite an analysis from the Brennan Center for Justice that confirms “136 statutes provide the President with emergency authorities that he can invoke pursuant to the NEA.”

One of those authorities in effect today is the president’s power of blocking assets and prohibiting transactions with significant narcotics traffickers, which was put into effect in 1995 when the drug problem was a fraction of what it is today. Nobody can deny that the drug crisis is a national emergency, with tens of thousands of people dying every year from the drugs brought in by the cartels at our border.

I’ve already explained that upon a declaration of emergency, the president has the power to use unobligated defense funds to construct infrastructure when he deploys soldiers at our border and when that construction, in this case the wall, is “necessary to support such use of the armed forces.” It is very hard to read the statute as placing justiciable limits on this determination, and as such, any question of whether the wall is needed for a military operation is a political one to be debated in Congress and not a legal one to be debated in court. The CRS notes that it would be unprecedented for a court to second-guess the president’s determination of what is needed to support a military operation. But of course, we live in unprecedented times of judicial power.

But as the CRS makes clear, the president’s authority to construct fencing to counteract transnational organized crime and drug trafficking is unlimited and does not even require the declaration of a national emergency.

Another statute that authorizes the Secretary of Defense to assist civilian law enforcement with counterdrug activities may provide some authority for the construction of barriers along the border. 10 U.S.C. § 284 (Section 284) provides that the Secretary of Defense “may provide support for the counterdrug activities or activities to counter transnational organized crime” of any law enforcement agency, including through the “construction of roads and fences and installation of lighting to block drug smuggling corridors across international boundaries of the United States.” Use of Section 284 would not require a declaration of a national emergency under the NEA. However, the DOD’s Section 284 authority to construct fences appears to extend only to “drug smuggling corridors,” a condition that may limit where DOD could deploy fencing.

The drugs and the other criminal activity coming over the border are likely the most urgent aspect of this crisis, and the president would be well within his rights to declare an emergency over it. The president has already declared a public health emergency. Nonetheless, he doesn’t even need to declare a new crisis, which is why I believe he should go the § 284 route. There are other negative political implications about declaring a national emergency, which would be needed to trigger § 2808 of the NEA, that would elicit a lot of demagoguery from the media (such as the potential to use martial law). By focusing on his authority to use the Department of Defense to counter drugs and organized crime without a formal declaration of emergency, Trump will be taking the cleanest avenue, which is also the path that most accurately fits the reality at the border.

As I’ve noted before, I’m skeptical of the efficacy of a wall to stop lawfare-driven migration when the migrants don’t mind being apprehended and in fact want to meet a border agent and declare asylum. However, it is undeniable that border walls help to block out criminal activity and drug smuggling. Those with something to hide are certainly not going hang off a wall for 20 minutes when they are almost certain to get apprehended. They try to enter through the rural areas without fencing.

By plugging those holes, Trump will be fulfilling the quintessential intent of this statute. It is exactly in those “drug smuggling corridors” where we don’t have fencing and where cartels are moving in drugs while our agents are tied down with hundreds of bogus asylees surrendering themselves to them. Nobody can deny that the level of family members and drugs crossing, the latter enabled by the former, is worse than ever. As one border agent told CBS, “I’ve seen 6 different presidents in the time that I’ve been with the Border Patrol and this is the worst crisis that I’ve seen” and, “Operationally I can tell that you without a physical barrier at border patrol we have a very tough time succeeding.”

Last October, the DOJ designated MS-13, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), Sinaloa Cartel, and Clan del Golfo as transnational crime organizations (TCOs). Now, those cartels are pouring meth into areas in Texas and Arizona.

It’s time for Trump to actually treat this like the emergency it is and at least begin with the authority he has under a non-emergency statute. Threatening to get what he wants without Pelosi is a great leverage point. As Trump said in “The Art of the Deal,” “The worst thing you can possibly do in a deal is seem desperate to make it. That makes the other guy smell blood, and then you’re dead.” (For more from the author of “Even Congress’ Research Arm Vouches for Trump’s Border Funding Authority” please click HERE)

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Here’s the Draft of Trump’s Order Declaring a National Emergency to Build the Border Wall

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By The Blaze. President Donald Trump is planning to declare a national emergency at the border and use the powers from such a declaration to order the construction of a border wall, according to a draft of the order published by CNN. . .

“The massive amount of aliens who unlawfully enter the United States each day is a direct threat to the safety and security of our nation and constitutes a national emergency,” reads the draft order.

“Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C 1601, et seq.), hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States,” the draft says.

Critics of the president have warned that if he were to take such an action that it would likely be met with legal challenges. Even some Republicans have cautioned against using the emergency powers of the executive in this manner.

(Read more from “Here’s the Draft of Trump’s Order Declaring a National Emergency to Build the Border Wall” HERE)

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Trump Issues New Position on Border Wall as Congress Debates Deal to End Shutdown

By The Blaze. President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he was willing to make a concession to Democrats on funding for his border wall in order to strike a deal and reopen the government.

The government has been partially shut down for 34 days, and is affecting about 800,000 federal employees directly.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders indicated that the president was willing to accept less than the $5.7 billion for border wall funding in a continuing resolution deal, as long as it contained a “down payment” for the wall.

Trump then addressed reporters on negotiations between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to reopen the government on a continuing budget resolution.

“Well one of the ideas suggested is they open it,” Trump said, apparently referring to the government, “they pay a sort of a prorated down payment for the wall, which I think, people will agree, that you need.” (Read more from “Trump Issues New Position on Border Wall as Congress Debates Deal to End Shutdown” HERE)

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Trump Should Revisit 3 Executive Powers to Break the Border Impasse

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If we consent to the notion that the president is prohibited from following the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and his inherent executive authority to stop this invasion, then there’s nothing we can do, and we as may as well cede the presidency to Kamala Harris. But if the president is willing to use his lawful powers and more aggressively push back against lawless lower court opinions and their illegal universal injunctions, there is a lot he can do. By credibly threatening to use executive action based on lawful powers, the president can upend Pelosi’s leverage.

The first step is for the president to communicate his message directly to the American people. There is no way around that. This entire battle is one of messaging.

There is a reason Pelosi denied the president the platform of the State of the Union by taking the unprecedented step of disinviting him to speak before the House. She knows that for the president to speak in in the traditional presidential manner for a full hour, laying out the evils of open borders and the danger of her policies empowering the cartels, will reframe the debate over this issue. Yet by disinviting Trump, Pelosi gave him an even bigger platform … if Trump is willing to use it.

To that end, the president should reconsider his decision to scuttle the State of the Union and deliver it at a venue on the border flanked by law enforcement and Angel Families. He should use imagery to depict the severity of the problem caused by Pelosi’s preferred immigration policies and that this has gone on long enough. This speech, because of its unique circumstances, would get more viewers and look better for the president than anything he could have done in the House chamber. In some ways, it would be the most dramatic use of the bully pulpit ever.

After Trump shows how severe the problem of illegal immigration is, he should lay out the following strategy, threats, and demands.

Threaten executive action

As long as Trump makes it clear that he cannot do anything to stop the invasion without Pelosi caving, she will not cave. But the minute he makes it clear that he will act unilaterally anyway, it will change the dynamic. Accordingly, Trump needs to make it clear that the difference between his and Obama’s use of executive action boils down to the Constitution and our existing statutes. Obama violated them in order to subvert sovereignty; Trump will follow the INA in order to preserve sovereignty and national security. He should then promise to revisit three ideas he seemingly has backed away from: ending the illegal DACA amnesty, shutting off all border migration, and using a military buildup to construct border infrastructure.

End DACA

How can a district judge tell the president he must continue Obama’s illegal amnesty? Trump needs to tell the American people that statute tells him these people must be deported, while a district judge, forum-shopped by the Left, says otherwise. He must follow statute. Nobody can challenge his use of executive action when that action itself is a mere reversal of Obama’s unprecedented action. He should explain the illegality of these rulings based on statute, rules of standing, and the fiction of universal injunctions.

Remember, the Judge William Alsup said very clearly that he was not saying DACA “could not be rescinded as an exercise of Executive Branch discretion,” he just disagreed with the way in which Trump got rid of it. While the judge was still off his rocker, nothing is stopping Trump from ending DACA now.

Trump can’t have it both ways. He can’t treat DACA as an important negotiation tactic for amnesty but then agree to the legal premise that he must do it and the political premise that it’s “the right thing to do.” He needs to give Democrats the impression that he will get rid of it. Right now, Democrats have no reason to deal with Trump because they are getting a permanent de facto extension of non-immigrant visas for those amnesty recipients indefinitely. Thus, they will wait Trump out for an even better deal on a more expansive amnesty. But if Trump threatens to take from them what they already think they have in the bag, it will change the negotiations.

Shut down all border migration

Nobody can ever credibly argue that a president lacks inherent executive authority as well as delegated authority to shut down all migration at our border, no matter how a judge wants to erroneously create loopholes in asylum. Article II powers over foreign commerce and INA 212(f) override all immigration, including legitimate immigration programs. This power has never been challenged, and indeed, the Supreme Court just upheld it last year. For a single district judge, Jon Tigar, to come along and give standing to random political groups to sue for caravan invaders outside our country is beyond laughable, and Trump needs to make that judge and his capricious rationale famous in his speech. He must build the case that no district judge can put an injunction on the power to control who crosses our border.

Threaten a military buildup

You know what we need more than a partial border wall, at least in the short term? A serious military operation at our border. If we can’t understand the threat the cartels pose to our nation and the cost in terms of thousands of homicides, drugs, gangs, and financial burdens, we have no business being a sovereign nation. If a president can deploy troops in 140 countries without authorization from Congress, then you better believe a president can repel an invasion when cartels are on our soil directing their operations. Even Joe Biden called for such a military operation decades ago when the cartels weren’t nearly as powerful.

It’s time for Trump to announce that the days of the evil cartels hurting Americans and Mexicans are over, and he will turn our military on them. Just the threat of doing so will shake up the cartels beyond belief. And once he beefs up the military presence, it’s much easier for him to use DOD funding to build infrastructure.

Make Democrats take tough votes

Once Trump asserts the threat to employ lawful and thoughtful executive action to stop the border invasion, he should then lay out a series of demands for Democrats covering all aspects of illegal immigration. He should call upon McConnell to make Democrats take a series of tough votes that will now be backed by the threat of executive action regardless of what they do in Congress.

Here’s how the strategy would work:

Step 1: Pay our agents

The time has come for Trump to call upon McConnell to force a vote on funding law enforcement working during the partial shutdown. The bill should require immediate pay for agencies like Border Patrol, ICE, FBI, DEA, TSA, and the Coast Guard. That’ll still leave the nonessential agencies on the table (many of which probably don’t need to exist) while daring Democrats in the Senate to vote against pay for law enforcement. I’d force Democrats to hold the floor and continuously block the bill. Right now, Senate Republicans are doing nothing while Pelosi passes her bills out of the House. This will shift the momentum.

Step 2: Deny pay to the cartels

The cartels are making a killing off the judicially created loopholes in our laws. McConnell should force votes on ending the Flores settlement, which is what is incentivizing family units to come with children (sometimes not even their own) and get quasi-amnesty through catch-and-release. He should also make them take tough votes on welfare benefits for illegal aliens and clamping down on identity theft.

Step 3: Stop illegals from murdering Americans

The Senate should also force votes on a bill named after murdered officer Ronil Singh. Every illegal alien homicide, by definition, is avoidable because the illegal aliens shouldn’t be in the country. However, most of them are doubly avoidable because most murderers usually have prior rap sheets and are picked up for “lesser” crimes. This is the enduring lesson of Ronil Singh’s murderer, who was picked up twice by cops for DUI but was never turned over to ICE.

As of fiscal year 2013, we already had 1.9 million criminal aliens in this country, yet almost none of them have been deported, and that number is likely much higher now. Republicans need to mandate immediate apprehension and deportation of all criminal aliens and cut off funding to any locality that fails to turn over illegal aliens arrested for crimes, including DUIs and drug trafficking. Interior enforcement is the key, and voting against it is radioactive for certain Democrats if Republicans actually forced a sustained debate over it.

The bottom line is that Democrats have never been forced to defend all their indefensible positions, nor have they felt any urgency to change course. Trump has a bully pulpit that nobody ever had; he wields the executive powers to follow immigration law and block foreign invasions that every president has had; and his party still has control over the Senate, where he can embarrass Democrats with one vote after another.

There is no silver bullet strategy after years of messaging failures by the GOP on the immigration issue. But declining to use the bully pulpit, failing to force Democrats to take tough votes, and negotiating down on amnesty without any executive leverage is surely a recipe for disaster. (For more from the author of “Trump Should Revisit 3 Executive Powers to Break the Border Impasse” please click HERE)

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Even Though Supreme Court Upheld Transgender Ban, Pentagon Refuses to Change Direction Citing Technicality

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The Pentagon will not immediately implement President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender men and women serving in the military, the Defense Department said Wednesday, one day after the Supreme Court removed some legal roadblocks that have stalled the controversial policy.

The Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision on Tuesday removed preliminary injunctions that for more than a year halted the Pentagon from implementing the so-called “Mattis Plan,” a policy penned by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at Trump’s direction that would ban most transgender men and women from enlisting in the military. However, one such preliminary injunction issued by a federal judge overseeing a discrimination lawsuit in Maryland remained in place as of Wednesday, said Air Force Lt. Col. Carla Gleason, a Pentagon spokeswoman.

The Department of Justice “is seeking relief from this remaining injunction in light of the Supreme Court’s action, but at present it remains in place,” Gleason said. She stressed as of Wednesday that the Pentagon continued to operate under the Defense Department’s 2016 policy, which opened military service to transgender men and women and allowed them to enlist starting Jan. 1, 2018. . .

A White House effort to ban transgender people from military service has been mired in confusion and litigation since Trump’s surprise announcement in July 2017 via Twitter that he would no longer allow transgender people to serve. The directive – made formal in a White House order about one month later – came without any apparent consultation among top Pentagon officials and was decried by Democratic lawmakers and advocates for transgender individuals as a political move.

Mattis’ plan was issued in March 2018 and claimed open service by transgender men and women could undermine the military’s combat readiness. It sought to exclude transgender individuals who had undergone a sex transition or were seeking to transition from their biological gender from joining the military. However, it granted exceptions for active-duty servicemembers who had already identified themselves as transgender. Officials said there were about 900 such servicemembers in the military now. (Read more from “Even Though Supreme Court Upheld Transgender Ban, Pentagon Refuses to Change Direction Citing Technicality” HERE)

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The Anti-Trump American Media Is Achieving Russia’s Goal

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Where Russia failed in dividing America, the anti-Trump media are succeeding.

Last month, an analysis of the social media posts by Russia-based Internet Research Agency concluded the primary goal of the influence operation was “dividing Americans.” According to the report, which was conducted by New Knowledge and commissioned by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Russian effort “was designed to exploit societal fractures, blur the lines between reality and fiction, erode our trust in media entities and the information environment, in government, in each other, and in democracy itself.”

In a perverse twist, the anti-Trump media’s relentless attacks on President Trump and his supporters are accomplishing the Russian goal of dividing Americans and eroding faith in government while destroying their own credibility.

The news coverage of the encounter between a Native American man and high school students at the Lincoln Memorial and the reporting on the border crisis are recent examples where the anti-Trump media are doing more to harm to the U.S. than the Russia-based Internet Research Agency ever could.

A short video of a Catholic high school student wearing a Make America Great Again hat staring at a Native American man beating his drum went viral and triggered a series of erroneous news stories about the encounter. The anti-Trump media jumped at the opportunity to connect the Trump-supporting Catholic high school boys with racism against Native Americans.

In its initial story, the New York Times portrayed the high school students as the agitators, “a throng of cheering and jeering high school boys, predominantly white and wearing ‘Make America Great Again’ gear, surrounding a Native American elder.”

The story intjected race into its analysis, describing the incident as “the latest touchpoint for racial tensions in American, particularly under Mr. Trump.” The story also boosted the racism angle by adding the president “painted immigrants in broad strokes as rapists and drug dealers” and his criticism of Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and her claim of Native American background to complete the picture.

A day later, the New York Times updated the story. Analysis of longer videos of the encounter at the Lincoln Memorial painted an entirely different picture. The Native American approached the high school boys; they were not aggressors. But the update by the New York Times and other news outlets was too little, too late. The anti-Trump media inflamed the social media mob instead of extinguishing the fire.

The attacks against the students and their school, Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky, were unrelenting.

Both Covington Catholic High School and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington threw the students under the bus, condemning the students’ actions and issuing an apology to the Native American man who confronted the children. The high school students were also roundly criticized from all political sides, including some calling for violence.

On twitter, CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers zeroed in on the student featured in the video and said, “He is a deplorable. Some ppl can also be punched in the face.” Sellers deleted his tweet after the news reported on additional video evidence.

Hollywood elites also couldn’t restrain themselves. Disney film producer Jack Morrissey said on twitter, “MAGAkids go screaming, hats first, into the woodchipper.” He later apologized and deleted the horrific tweet.

Actress Alyssa Milano targeted the MAGA hats worn by some of the high school boys, saying they are “the new white hood,” essentially equating children to Klansmen. The Covington Catholic Schools and the Diocese of Covington are being targeted by activists and threats of violence.

The anti-Trump media is also eroding the faith of Americans in the president by its news coverage that minimizes the threat of illegal aliens to the safety and security of U.S. citizens. As pointed out in the Washington Examiner and Fox News, the media wrote stories about a crisis at the border under former President Obama, but suddenly, under President Trump, it’s considered a manufactured crisis.

Recently, over 700 pounds of cocaine were seized by Border Patrol agents between ports of entry, and hundreds of migrants were caught after digging under an old section of border fence in Arizona.

The facts show there is a crisis at the southern border. The Catholic student’s actions were not threatening or racist. But the anti-Trump media’s zeal to undermine the president and his credibility supersedes the truth.

Russia is getting the divided America it sought, not by its agents feeding social media, but from the anti-Trump media that fuels outrage against the president and his supporters — even children. (For more from the author of “The Anti-Trump American Media Is Achieving Russia’s Goal” please click HERE)

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After Sealed Court Records Mysteriously Leaked, Senator Ernst Denies Affair With Soldier Under Her Command

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By AP. Sen. Joni Ernst on Wednesday denied allegations leveled by her ex-husband that she had an affair with a subordinate while she served in the military. . .

Joni Ernst said Wednesday at the event that she believed the court documents would be sealed from the public and was caught off guard by news reports on the allegations.

“I would love to point the finger and say, ‘Somebody screwed up. Somebody leaked.’ But they’re out there and so now I will deal with that,” she said. “But what I want people to understand is that I am the same person as I was last week. You just know more about what’s inside of me now.” (Read more from “After Sealed Court Records Mysteriously Leaked, Senator Ernst Denies Affair With Soldier Under Her Command” HERE)

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Divorce Filing: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst Says Her Husband Physically Attacked Her

By Des Moines Register. Years before her divorce, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst was assaulted by her husband after she confronted him about his relationship with their daughter’s babysitter, she wrote in court filings.

Ernst, a Republican who represents Iowa, said that during her 26-year marriage with Gail Ernst, she was the victim of verbal and mental abuse and a physical assault after which a victim’s advocate wanted to take her to a hospital, she wrote in public records connected to their divorce. . .

In an affidavit in October, Joni Ernst described a history of emotional abuse that included her husband belittling her and becoming angry when she achieved her goals. She was interviewed by then-candidate Donald Trump to run for vice president, but she turned him down, describing the move as not the right thing for her or her family, she said.

Ernst, 48, a military veteran from Red Oak, was the first woman in Iowa elected to either chamber of Congress. She defeated Democrat Bruce Braley in 2014 to win a six-year term in the Senate after emerging victorious from a five-way Republican primary for the nomination. She has said she will seek a second term in the Senate in 2020. (Read more from “Divorce Filing: U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst Says Her Husband Physically Attacked Her” HERE)

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Democrat Senator Announces Vote for Border Wall

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West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is bucking the Democratic Party, announcing that he will vote for legislation funding a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

“Today I will vote for both gov funding bills b/c I believe we must end this harmful shutdown immediately & it’s our first opportunity in the Senate to do so,” the Democrat tweeted Thursday. “Even though they will probably fail, these votes are a start to finding a way to reopen the gov & get WVians back to work.”

The Senate will vote on two sharply different funding bills Thursday. First, lawmakers will vote on a GOP-backed bill that includes $5.7 billion the president has requested to fund his border wall and protections for some migrants. Following that vote, lawmakers will then decide on a Democratic-led budget proposal that does not include funding for the wall. . .

Despite Republicans holding a 53-seat majority, Senate rules require at least 60 votes for budget bills, and Democrats have remained steadfast in their opposition to the border wall. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have agreed to allow both bills to receive a floor vote in hopes that it will be a step toward a compromise.

Manchin is not the only lawmaker who will vote in favor of both bills. Republican Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine indicated they plan to vote for both bills, stressing the necessity to open the government and let federal employees finally receive a paycheck. (Read more from “Democrat Senator Announces Vote for Border Wall” HERE)

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Another 10,000+ Caravan Hits Mexico and Requests Asylum

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As Congress continues to feud over the construction of a border wall, another Central American caravan of 10,000-plus migrants entered Mexico and intends to reach the U.S.

The caravan, which first departed Honduras on Jan. 15, began as a smaller group of around 2,000 people, WaPo reported. However, the caravan ballooned in size as it continued to travel across Central America. Numerous foreign nationals from Guatemala and El Salvador, eager over the possibility to apply for humanitarian visas in Mexico, joined along the way. . .

Many of the migrants are attracted by a new policy recently enacted by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. The new left-wing president, who has criticized Mexico’s past treatment of migrants, is allowing many of them to apply for humanitarian visas, allowing them to stay in the country legally as they try to gain access into the U.S.

Historically, migrants would reach the border and apply for asylum within the U.S., allowing them to disappear into the country without ever appearing to their immigration court date. The Trump administration has worked to prevent this by pressuring the Mexican government to keep migrants in their country as they wait for their asylum cases to work through the U.S. courts — a policy known as “remain in Mexico.”

Mexico’s National Immigration Institute reported it had processed a total of 10,343 migrants. About 75 percent were from Honduras, with the rest coming from El Salvador, Guatemala, and a small number of Haitians, Nicaraguans, Cubans and Brazilians. (Read more from “Another 10,000+ Caravan Hits Mexico and Requests Asylum” HERE)

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MAGA Kid Madness Continues: Suspicious Package Sent to Covington Diocese

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We’re back. It’s another episode of Triggered, and the Left surely has been insufferable over the past week. This Covington Catholic story has reached new levels of absurdity and danger. Last week, a group of students from Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky gathered in D.C. by the Lincoln Memorial. They were there for the March for Life. Black Hebrew Israelites harassed them with obscenities. The students did sports chants to drown out the vulgarity. Nathan Phillips, a Native American man who was in the city for the Indigenous Peoples March, approached the crowd to defuse the situation, supposedly. The point is it was not a racially motivated hounding in which these kids, sporting MAGA hats, surrounded a Native America man and mocked him. That didn’t happen. It’s straight fake news. Video evidence has refuted the entire narrative. Still, the Left is relentless. Death threats have been directed to the students at the school, which now requires police security. And now a suspicious package was sent to the diocese (via WaPo):

The Diocese of Covington, at the center of a controversy over students’ behavior during a confrontation with a Native American man last week, was evacuated Wednesday afternoon following reports of a suspicious package.

The evacuation, first reported by local media, was confirmed by an on-duty firefighter at Covington’s Firehouse #1, a short distance from the Catholic basilica, which houses the diocese.

“The chief and the assistant fire chief are on the run,” the firefighter said, “and this is an active, ongoing situation.”

According to WLWT5, Cincinnati Bomb Squad and emergency management was on the scene in central Covington. Local TV stations showed emergency vehicles responding.

(For more from the author of “MAGA Kid Madness Continues: Suspicious Package Sent to Covington Diocese” please click HERE)

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Top Democrat Congressman Calls for Democrats to ‘Give Trump the Money’ for Border Wall

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By Daily Wire. Minnesota Democrat Rep. Collin Peterson said in an interview this week that the Democrats should give President Donald Trump the money that he wants to build the border wall on the southern border.

Peterson, the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, told KFGO’s “News & Views” on Tuesday that “when I bring up what I have to say [to Democrats], they look at me cross-eyed.”

“Give Trump the money,” Peterson said, adding that he would “give him the whole thing … and put strings on it so you make sure he puts the wall where it needs to be.”

“Why are we fighting over this?” Peterson continued. “We’re going to build that wall anyway, at some time.”

In an interview with the MinnPost on Wednesday, Peterson tried to clarify his remarks after enraging Democrats in Washington, D.C., highlighting that he specifically stated that there needed to be strings attached to the money to make sure that it is spent responsibly. (Read more from “Top Democrat Congressman Calls for Democrats to ‘Give Trump the Money’ for Border Wall” HERE)

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Shutdown Fallout Intensifies, as Officials Signal Stalemate Could Last Much Longer

By Fox News. Furloughed federal workers are bracing to miss their second paycheck and employee unions are warning of increasingly dire consequences since the partial government shutdown began last month, as officials signal the stalemate in Washington has no end in sight.

The government partially shut down in December after Congress failed to pass a spending package funding parts of the government, forcing some federal workers to be furloughed or work without pay. President Trump is demanding $5.7 billion for a barrier on the southern border with Mexico as part of a spending deal, something Democratic leaders are rejecting outright.

Those whose jobs are affected by the shutdown are now speaking out more forcefully about the impact on their own lives but also safety issues for the broader public.

“This is already the longest government shutdown in the history of the United States and there is no end in sight,” said a joint statement released Wednesday by leaders of three associations representing air traffic controllers, airline pilots and flight attendants.

It continued: “In our risk averse industry, we cannot even calculate the level of risk currently at play, nor predict the point at which the entire system will break. It is unprecedented.” (Read more from “Shutdown Fallout Intensifies, as Officials Signal Stalemate Could Last Much Longer” HERE)

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