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Dems’ rejection of Trump’s compromise makes shutdown theirs

Democrat leaders in Congress, spurred on by House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have made it clear they do not care how long the partial shutdown of government continues, as long as they get their way: no money for a physical barrier along the nation’s southern border.

Never mind that Pelosi, D-Calif., and other Democrats have agreed in the past for such a barrier.

Never mind that sections of “the wall” they now call immoral already have been built with their blessing.

And never mind that Border Patrol agents agree more barriers would help curb illegal immigration.

“No,” say Pelosi and those content to parrot her words.

That leaves it up to President Donald Trump to be the adult in the room.

For weeks, Trump has insisted he would not clear the way to resuming government operations affected by the shutdown until Pelosi and company approve $5.7 billion in funding for the barrier.

But now, with the shutdown a month in duration, the president should rethink his position. About 800,000 federal workers are suffering because they are not being paid.

Some are reporting to work anyway. Segments of the economy, especially in communities where government is a primary employer, are being hurt.

Well, guess what, Trump has softened his position – for the fourth time.

On Saturday, he offered three years of protection for young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children and those fleeing disaster zones in exchange for $5.7 billion funding for structural border protection.

The amount sought is about a fourth of Trump’s originally sought total.

Trump also proposed funding for humanitarian aid and offered immigration process measures that Democrats have previously backed.

The reaction from Pelosi and Democrats was rejection – in some cases even before Trump made his national appeal.

Pelosi and fellow liberals are being exposed for having no intention of discussing serious immigration reform. Trump’s latest compromise exposes to the American people that the liberals are using illegal immigration for their own cynical, selfish political purposes. If they were doing their jobs, they would negotiate the compromise they are being offered.

This is officially their shutdown.

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