Lawmakers came to a tentative agreement on funding for the border wall on Monday just ahead of the deadline that would have shut the government down again.
According to the Associated Press, Congressional Republicans agreed to a lower amount of money for the U.S.-Mexico border wall – the issue that caused the month-long partial government shutdown in January.
The AP reports that a congressional aide told them that instead of the $5.7 billion that President Trump requested for the border wall, the government will allot $1.4 billion toward the wall for the 2019 fiscal year.
The significant decrease in funding will result in less wall and according to the AP, instead of 215 miles of metal slats, the budget will allow for 55 miles of the physical barrier.
Lawmakers were eager to keep the government open, as the first shutdown – the longest in U.S. history – left 800,000 Federal workers without pay for 35 days.
Reportedly, many congressmen and women are not happy with the amount of wall decided on. According to the AP, many Democrats believe 55 miles is too much wall, while some Republicans believe it is not enough. Despite this, Congress members appear to have realized the impact government shutdowns have on the economy and the American people – particularly families who rely on income from their federal jobs – and are working to move forward with their tentative compromise. GOP negotiators report being hopeful that President Trump will support the deal.
“With the government being shut down, the specter of another shutdown this close, what brought us back together I thought tonight was we didn’t want that to happen [again],” Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) said.
Official details of the agreement have not yet been released but are expected to be announced as early as Tuesday afternoon.
Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Pool
Comments are closed.