Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was very pleased when he heard about the compromise the President was offering Democrats. Upon reading the details, he believes there’s no way enough Democrats in the Senate will vote for it to avoid a filibuster.
“They will get many more votes if they clean the bill up. If they keep the bill the way it is now, I don’t see any way they can pass it,” said Gingrich.
A Trump ally, Gingrich has supported the President’s efforts to fund part of a wall on our southern border but feels there are too many small points in the proposal that strike at Democrats’ nerves to get them to vote for it, such as making it harder for minors from Central America to seek asylum.
.@newtgingrich told me the White House proposal was a "big mistake" because it took too hardline of an approach, like limitations on asylum seekers. “If you’re trying to attract people with sugar, you shouldn’t pour vinegar on top of it.” https://t.co/95TRj8QK22
— Eliza Collins (@elizacollins1) January 23, 2019
My Take
There is no path to passing a bill that includes border wall funding unless the President gives up too much. It’s time for him to have his Secretary of Defense use 10 U.S.C. 284 to begin construction of the border wall now.
