President Donald Trump is holding his first campaign rally of the year next week in El Paso, Texas, a city he’s cited numerous times — including in his State of the Union address — in arguing for the wall he wants built along the U. S.-Mexico border.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is holding his first campaign rally of the year next week in El Paso, Texas, a city he’s cited numerous times — including in his State of the Union address — in arguing for the wall he wants built along the U. S.-Mexico border.
The rally on Monday will be four days before a Feb. 15 deadline for congressional bargainers to come up with a compromise to fund large portions of the federal government to avoid another partial government shutdown.
Trump insists that money designated for wall construction be part of any deal. Democrats oppose a wall but have offered to fund technology and other border security measures. A stalemate over the issue led to a record 35-day shutdown that ended Jan. 25.
After negotiators on Wednesday left a private briefing from federal border patrol and customs officials, No. 2 Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin said lawmakers were told the top priority was technology.
«They don’t rule out barriers, they don’t rule out fencing, but that isn’t the first priority,» Durbin told reporters.
But Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., said the officials suggested a three-pronged approach using barriers, technology and personnel and said the closed-door session was constructive.
