After a 35-day shutdown, the government has temporarily reopened but what happens after the Feb. 15 deadline is still quite uncertain. However, there are reports that United States President Donald Trump will most likely agree and sign a compromise deal even though it has a much less border wall funding.
Building a wall that would completely close the entire U.S.-Mexico border is one of the biggest campaign promises Trump made before getting elected. To start its construction, he has been demanding a $5.7 billion funding that has since been thwarted by Democratic lawmakers in Congress. The political stand-off led to the longest government shutdown in America's history.
A partial government shutdown was in effect last Dec. 22 and lasted for the next 35 days when Trump’s demand of a $5.7 billion funding for the border wall was not met. Unfortunately, it affected around 380,000 furloughed federal employees and about 420,000 more who were forced to work without getting paid at the peak of the holiday season.
It was recently reported that bipartisan negotiators have reached an agreement and drafted a compromise bill that includes a $1.375 billion allocation for Trump’s border wall. Unsurprisingly, Trump said he is “extremely unhappy” about it and commented he will be “adding things to it.” He promised that the “beautiful, big, strong wall” will happen but he also reportedly hinted that, for now, he does not want another government shutdown.
As the Feb. 15 deadline looms, some Republican lawmakers are urging Trump to sign the current deal. But they also welcome the possibility that the President will use other means to make the border wall happen.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Tuesday, “I have recommended that if it becomes what we think it is, I do recommend he sign it. I think he's got a pretty good deal here." Meanwhile, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) also expects the President to sign the said deal, thus, avoiding another government shutdown by the end of the week.