Border Security Compromise or Tit for Tat?

PPPS (Washington, DC)—As another government shutdown deadline looms on February 15th, both sides in the border security debate are desperately seeking compromise. A select group of Democrat and Republican members of Congress is currently meeting to work out a deal. As part of these negotiations, however, two very interesting, but not particularly helpful, proposals have emerged.

On the one hand, President Trump has put forth a proposal to counter demands by Democrats for the elimination of ICE, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. The Democrats claim that ICE is guilty of separating children from their migrant parents while attempting to enforce our immigration laws.

The President has proposed a clever solution by adding the word National to the beginning of the agency name, in order to emphasize its sovereignty in immigration matters over local jurisdictions, and in particular, states and municipalities claiming sanctuary status.

The resulting new acronym, NICE, would present a much less intimidating image to desperate migrant families seeking asylum, violent alien criminals seeking to avoid deportation, and to American voters.

In an equally clever counter proposal, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has floated legislation that would redefine the mission of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from one of defending our citizens against all threats foreign and domestic to a more holistic mission of inclusiveness.


In light of a call by at least one Democrat for the complete defunding of DHS, Speaker Pelosi's proposal is a model of moderation.

Her legislation, which is quite lengthy (over 4,000 pages), can best be summed up in the proposed new logo for the department.





It is certainly our hope that compromise will become the word-of-the-day in this debate over border security, and that another government shutdown disaster can thus be avoided.

BREAKING NEWS: #SchumerShutdown Begins

PPPS (Washington, DC)—After negotiations to continue funding federal deficit spending broke down in the Senate, the Democrats' shutdown of the federal government began at midnight this morning.

Because the Trump administration refuses to weaponize what is being referred to as the #SchumerShutdown, most Americans won't notice a thing. Our staff has summed it up nicely.

There are a few others, however who see the #SchumerShutdown in a more serious light - take this tweet for example:

We at PPPS, however, find it hard to believe that the much-admired Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (of #SchumerShutdown fame) of New York, and other Democrats in Congress, would EVER put any political maneuver or partisan politics above the interests of their fellow American citizens, the government services they may receive, the people who defend our nation, or the booming economy which is lifting millions out of poverty.

That thought is just too implausible to believe, the above tweet message not withstanding.

***********************************

Historical Notes: PPPPS also covered a previous government shutdown in October, 2013 caused by evil Republicans, one Senator Ted Cruz in particular, in an attempt to defund the highly successful Affordable Care Act (sometimes referred to as Obamacare) before it could benefit millions and millions of Amercicans and transform our healthcare system for the better.

Following are some PPPS articles from that time:

Our own loyal reader, Citizen Pete, offered up an amendment in hopes of resolving the impasse. 

Citizen Offers Obamacare Amendment to Resolve Government Shutdown Crisis - October 4, 2013

Click to enlarge & view

Citizen Pete also offered an opinion, after his first attempt stop the shutdown failed.

End of the Obama Shutdown - A Citizen's Reflection and Plan of Action - October 17, 2013

And as a followup to the characterization that President Obama may have weaponized that October shutdown at the expense of our veterans, PPPS published this, along with a poignant photograph.

Will President Obama Be Able to Mend Fences With Veterans? - May 30, 2014