Deal To Avert Another Shutdown Reached “In Principle”

The New York Times reports:

House and Senate negotiators on Monday night agreed in principle to provide $1.375 billion for fencing and other physical barriers at the Mexican border, part of a broader agreement that would stave off another partial government shutdown without funding President Trump’s wall.

The agreement would allow for 55 miles of new bollard fencing, with some restrictions on location based on community and environmental concerns, according to two congressional aides, who requested anonymity to disclose details of the private negotiations.

That is a fraction of the more than 200 miles of steel-and-concrete wall that Mr. Trump demanded — and 10 miles less than negotiators agreed on last summer, before Democrats took control of the House.

Pres. Trump says “the wall is being built” regardless of what is in the tentative deal to avoid another shutdown. https://t.co/8rRKk1y9Et pic.twitter.com/2Yl77fTjMV

— ABC News (@ABC) February 12, 2019

The Trump crisis cycle:

1. Trump doesn’t like the status quo
2. He threatens action if demands aren’t met
3. His demands are not met
4. Trump caves, getting nothing, next to nothing, or worse
5. Trump takes credit for crisis ending

Art of the deal, government shutdown edition.

— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) February 12, 2019