TRUMP'S WALL - Post Trump Shutdown

"After shutdown, what’s next for border security negotiations" PBS NewsHour 1/28/2019

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SUMMARY:  Thousands of federal employees went to work Monday for the first time since before Christmas.  The 35-day partial government shutdown ended Friday after President Trump signed an agreement to fund closed government agencies for three weeks, while Congress continues to negotiate over border security.  But will that be enough?  Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor join Amna Nawaz with the latest.

"Rep says ‘it’s possible’ Democrats would support more than $5.7 billion on border security" PBS NewsHour 1/28/2019

Fat chance, as long as Trump insists on a wall.

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SUMMARY:  Lawmakers have three weeks to devise a border security plan that will satisfy President Trump, who threatens to declare a national emergency or shut down the government again if they fail.  A bipartisan group of 17 legislators will work to draft legislation.  One of them, Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif) joins Amna Nawaz to discuss evidence-based solutions, the asylum process and humanitarian aid.

From the delusional....

"Why Sen. Collins is ‘very optimistic’ about a deal to fund border security" PBS NewsHour 1/29/2019

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SUMMARY:  Lawmakers have three weeks to come up with a long-term deal on border security, or potentially be faced with a second government shutdown or the president's declaring a national emergency.  Judy Woodruff talks to Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) about why she’s “very optimistic” that Congress can come up with a plan the President will sign and mechanisms for preventing future government shutdowns.

"Sen. Capito on the ‘sweet spot’ for border security negotiations" PBS NewsHour 1/30/2019

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SUMMARY:  A bipartisan congressional committee tasked with drafting a border security bill for President Trump to sign by February 15 met for the first time Wednesday.  Among its members is Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va) who joins Judy Woodruff to discuss the committee’s “great desire to reach a conclusion,” components of effective border security and why she's optimistic about bipartisan compromise.

ZIKA - Republican House Blocks Requested Funding

COMMENT:  It's what you can expect from Big-$Money owned Republican House where money is more important that people.  You see, in the Republican House, women are worth ONLY $622 million.

"What's behind biting political fight in Congress over Zika funding?" PBS NewsHour 5/24/2016

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SUMMARY:  In February, the White House issued a $1.9 billion plan for combating Zika virus in the U.S., including provisions for mosquito control, education and research into a vaccine.  While GOP lawmakers opposed that plan, the Senate passed a bipartisan $1.1 billion compromise bill last week.  Judy Woodruff talks to Rep. Bob Gibbs, R-Ohio, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., for more on the funding debate.

JUDY WOODRUFF (NewsHour):  Now to Capitol Hill and Washington's efforts to combat the Zika virus.

Back in February, the White House put together a $1.9 billion proposal aimed at mosquito control, education about Zika, plus boosting research into the virus and a possible vaccine.  Last week, the Republican-controlled Senate moved a compromise measure for less than two-thirds that amount over the next year, $1.1 billion.

But the also-GOP-controlled House signed off on a bill for $622 million over six months.

Joining me now from opposite sides of this funding divide are Representative Rosa DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, and Representative Bob Gibbs, Republican from Ohio.

And we welcome both of you to the program.

Congressman Gibbs, let me begin with you.

The administration, as we said, asking for $1.9 billion.  The amount you favor is about a third that much.  Why not give the administration what it's asking for?

REP. BOB GIBBS (R), Ohio:  Well, what the administration did, that's just ongoing through the next — at least the next two mosquito seasons.

Our bill, at $600 million-plus, goes to the end of this fiscal year, September 30, and now we're in the appropriation process, and we will look at that, what we need to do past September 30 of this year going into the next fiscal year and the next mosquito season next summer.

So, we will be appropriating more money, I'm sure, but it's going to go through regular order and the regular appropriation process.  So, we're on board to make sure to appropriate the money as needed to get through to the end of this fiscal year.

JUDY WOODRUFF:  So, Congresswoman DeLauro, it sounds like this is a down payment on this problem.  Is that going to be enough?

REP. ROSA DELAURO (D), Connecticut:  Listen, no, the fact is, is the Zika virus is a public health emergency.  It is a crisis.

It is going to — the mosquitoes that carry the virus will hit the mainland United States within the next few weeks.  We are putting American women at risk, pregnant women who are fearful that their babies will be born with birth defects.

And we have a medical community that is telling women that maybe they shouldn't get pregnant.  That is not message to the American people.  The fact of the matter is, is that the $622 million is a third of what's been asked for.

You know, in this body, when we deal with appropriations for defense or going to war, my Republican colleagues will say, let us get the word from the generals, from those who are in the field, the experts.  They can tell us how much money they need.  And they can tell us how many troops we need.

Well, we do have experts in this war on the mosquitoes.  We have the Centers for Disease Control.  We have the National Institutes of Health.

POLITICS - Keeping the Federal Government Running

Think the House Republicans didn't want to look worst than they already are AND give President Obama another talking-point?

"House Passes Spending Bill, Preventing Government Shutdown" PBS Newshour 3/6/2013

GWEN IFILL (Newshour):  The House of Representatives today approved legislation to keep the government up and running, this time three weeks in advance of a new deadline.  But the bill still faces hurdles in the Democratically-controlled Senate.

MAN:  On this vote, the yeas are 267, the nays are 151.  The bill is passed without objection.  A motion to reconsider is laid on the table.

GWEN IFILL:  Anxious to avoid yet another Washington budget showdown, the House today agreed to a spending bill to finance the government through September, and avert a potentially devastating government shutdown.

The GOP measure would leave in place $85 billion dollars in across-the-board spending cuts that took effect last week.  But it would give the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs greater flexibility to manage the reductions.

Kentucky Republican Hal Rogers chairs the Appropriations Committee.

REP. HAL ROGERS, R-Ky.:  This bill takes the risk of a government shutdown off the table, funding the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, while helping maintain our national security and providing our troops and veterans with consistent, adequate funding.

GWEN IFILL:  House Democrats said the cuts should be stripped from the bill.

Virginia lawmaker Gerry Connolly:

REP. GERRY CONNOLLY, D-Va.:  We have to get our arms around spending, but not in a mindless, meat axe way.  It is going to hurt America.  And to bake it into this continuing resolution, in my view, is a terrible mistake.

GWEN IFILL:  The bill now goes to the Senate, where Majority Leader Harry Reid said Democrats hope to build in even more exceptions to the automatically mandated cuts.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said, once that happens, the commitment of Republicans to averting a shutdown will be put to the test.

REP. NANCY PELOSI, D-Calif.:  The Senate's not going to accept this bill.  And when they don't, they will send back another bill, and we will just see how many votes there are on the Republican side to keep government open, because we have absolutely no intention of having the government shut down.

GWEN IFILL:  Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole conceded that today's action is just the first step toward resolving the recurring budget and spending debate.

REP. TOM COLE, R-Okla.:  And we can have, I think, a good negotiation going back and forth between the two parties.  This is the beginning of a process. It's the beginning of a return to regular order. And it's an opportunity to work, I think, in a bipartisan fashion.

GWEN IFILL:  With an eye on the inclement weather outside, House Republicans also moved up today's vote by 24 hours.  Also, if the weather holds, President Obama was scheduled to dine tonight with a group of Republican senators, in part in response to complaints that he has failed to reach across the aisle.  And Mr. Obama announced plans to visit Capitol Hill next week for meetings with House and Senate Republicans.