U.S. Congress negotiators finish drafting border security bill

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U.S. lawmakers late on Wednesday completed writing a border security bill that was expected to deny President Donald Trump's request for 5.7 billion U.S. dollars to help build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, with the Senate and House of Representatives expected to vote on the bill Thursday.

A House Democratic aide said the final draft of the legislation was circulating among a group of 17 negotiators and was expected to be made public soon.

The aide added that the Senate would first vote on the bill sometime on Thursday. If it passes there, the House would then vote on final approval that evening, which would clear it for signing into law by Trump by a Friday deadline.

Without the legislation, about one-quarter of federal government agencies would be forced into a partial shutdown for lack of operating funds.

Trump has not yet said that he would embrace the measure but on Wednesday appeared to be edging toward backing the deal once he saw final details.

Trump, widely blamed for a 35-day shutdown that ended in January, said he did not want to see federal agencies close again because of fighting over funds for the wall, one of his signature campaign promises in the 2016 election.

The Republican president did not commit himself to back the government funding agreement struck between Democratic and Republican lawmakers this week. But two sources and a Republican senator close to the White House said he would likely sign off on it.

“I don't want to see a shutdown. A shutdown would be a terrible thing. I think a point was made with the last shutdown,” Trump told reporters. “People realized how bad the border is, how unsafe the border is, and I think a lot of good points were made.”

Migrants stand together along the U.S.-Mexican border wall as they wait to turn themselves over to the U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, February 12, 2019. /VCG Photo

Trump said he would hold off on a decision until he sees actual legislation about the issue. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Trump was “inclined to take the deal and move on.”

Graham told reporters that Trump would then look elsewhere to find more money to build a wall along the U.S. southern border and was “very inclined” to declare a national emergency to secure the funds.

With a Friday night deadline looming before a shutdown, there is little time for the White House and the political parties in Congress to agree on funding.

Funding is due to expire for the Department of Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and several other federal agencies.

U.S. Democratic and Republican negotiators have reached an agreement "in principle" on Monday to fund the government and avoid another partial shutdown.

A congressional aide, who asked not to be identified, said the outline of the deal included 1.37 billion U.S. dollars for erecting new fencing along the southern border.

That is about the same amount Congress allocated over the past couple years and far below what Trump has demanded.

Congress now faces a deadline to get a deal passed and signed by Trump before Friday.

(Cover: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in El Paso, Texas, February 11, 2019. /VCG photo)

Source(s): Reuters