While President Trump hasn’t yet indicated he will support it, Congress reached a tentative deal late Feb. 11 on border security that will avoid a government shutdown.
Democrat and Republican lawmakers supported the deal, which reportedly will give $1.375 billion for new fencing between the U.S. and Mexico. That is much less than the $5.7 billion Trump demanded for building a border wall. At the same time, the Democrats quit their demand to limit the number of detentions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
Beating the Feb. 15 deadline for a compromise, the bill would fund the government through the end of September.
“I think the compromise is fair and reasonable and helps move us past the budget gridlock of the past couple months,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a news release. “I applaud the Senate and House appropriations leaders who rolled up their sleeves and reached an agreement.”
She said that the two sticking points to a deal — funding for a border wall and the number of detention beds — were resolved in what she said was an “even-handed” way.
“The $1.375 billion for fencing in Texas is equal to last year’s funding level and will be used in high-traffic areas,” she said. At the same time, she said the 40,520 detention beds provided for in the legislation is also equal to last year’s level.
