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Trump Voices New Determination for a Border Wall

by Ken Bredemeier

   WASHINGTON --

   U.S. President Donald Trump voiced new determination Thursday to build
   a wall along the southern border with Mexico, saying it would get "done
   one way or the other," even if lawmakers don't give him the money to
   construct it.

   Trump, in a string of Twitter comments on the barrier, contended that
   Republicans on a congressional committee considering funding for border
   security "are wasting their time" because opposition Democrats "despite
   all of the evidence, proof and Caravans coming, are not going to give
   money to build the DESPERATELY needed WALL."

   But he told Republicans not to worry: "I've got you covered. Wall is
   already being built, I don't expect much help!"

   Without giving any details, Trump said, "More troops being sent to the
   Southern Border to stop the attempted Invasion of Illegals, through
   large Caravans, into our Country. We have stopped the previous
   Caravans, and we will stop these also. With a Wall it would be soooo
   much easier and less expensive."

   A bipartisan congressional panel opened talks Wednesday over border
   security and Trump's demand for $5.7 billion in funding for a wall in a
   dispute that led to the longest-ever 35-day partial government shutdown
   that ended last week. A Trump agreement with Congress to reopen the
   government until Feb. 15 gives lawmakers about two more weeks to reach
   agreement on border security funding.

   Democrats appear willing to agree to Trump's demand for the $5.7
   billion in border security funding, such as for tightened controls at
   ports of entry and increased use of technology to monitor the border.
   But as the talks started, Democrats offered no money for Trump's wall.

   Trump, as he often has, claimed erroneously that "Large sections of
   WALL have already been built with much more either under construction
   or ready to go." The U.S. has been repairing existing barriers, which
   Trump called "a very big part of the plan to finally, after many
   decades, properly Secure Our Border. The Wall is getting done one way
   or the other!"

   Trump has threatened a new government shutdown if Congress does not
   give him the wall funding he wants or said he also might declare a
   national emergency and build the wall without congressional
   authorization, using untapped government funds.

   At various times, Trump has called the barriers at the border an
   impenetrable concrete wall, and other times "steel slats," or a
   see-through barrier, even "peaches," if people preferred.

   But on Thursday, Trump said, "Lets just call them WALLS from now on and
   stop playing political games! A WALL is a WALL!"

   He claimed that Mexico's [1]soaring murder rate was reason enough to
   build the wall.

   "Very sadly, Murder cases in Mexico in 2018 rose 33% from 2017, to
   33,341. This is a big contributor to the Humanitarian Crises taking
   place on our Southern Border and then spreading throughout our Country.
   Worse even than Afghanistan. Much caused by DRUGS."

   He said that with the record Mexican murder rate, "why wouldn't any
   sane person want to build a Wall!"

References

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   1. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/01/21/world/americas/21reuters-mexico-violence.html

   Hidden links:
   2. https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/01/21/world/americas/21reuters-mexico-violence.html