Fillmore County Journal

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Questions for Jeff Erding regarding FACTS To the Editor,

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Fillmore County Journal - Weekly Newspaper Serving Southeast Minnesota's Bluff Country - Letter to the Editor

I just have a few questions for Jeff Erding regarding his “Border security: Facts and solutions”  letter to the editor on Monday, January 21, 2019.

Is it not a “FACT” that the Republicans were in control of the House and Senate the previous two years while President Trump was in office?  Is it not a “FACT” that the wall was not built during those two years?  So why is not building a wall now the Democrats’ fault?  Those facts seem to me to say that it was the Republicans’ and President Trump’s fault.  Is it not a “FACT” that President Trump said Mexico would be paying for the wall?  Wasn’t this also a CORE CAMPAIGN PROMISE he didn’t keep?  Mr. Erding stated that “Congressional Democrats are desperate to stop Mr. Trump from keeping a core campaign promise that will help him in the 2020 election.”  Perhaps President Trump deciding not to pay government employees until the American people pay for the wall is what will keep him from being elected in 2020.

We now have the longest government shut-down in U.S. history.  Pray for our government employees and their families who are really paying for this.

Ruth Franke

Spring Valley, Minn.

Comments

  1. Ms. Franke, the answer to your question is pretty simple.
    The cost to provide border security, including infrastructure like building security walls, is a budget item. The budget must originate and be passed by Congress. It takes 60 votes to pass a federal budget in the Senate. In 2018, Republicans had a slim 51-50 senate majority, so if every single Republican voted in favor of a bill, which almost never happens, it would still require at least 9 Democrats to cross over.
    In 2019, the situation in Congress is still the same in the Senate, but control of the House is firmly in Democrat hands.
    To summarize, passing a budget has never been possible, during Mr. Trumps tenure, without some Democrat cooperation. In today’s environment, ” Democrat” and “cooperation” are mutually exclusive. Thus is has never been possible for Republicans to perform in the manner you suggest, making the premise of your editorial look silly and actually kind of embarassing.

    Ms. Franke, it is always best to do a little research prior to sending in a scathing editorial. It prevents one from looking uninformed. Sorry you went there.

    • @ Jeff Erding

      Didn’t the GOP have the Nuclear option as Trump so eloquently asked McConnell for? I guess not enough GOPers were in favor of that like they were earlier in the administration. Doesn’t seem as though they felt the wall was worth it eh?

      So her argument is still valid. They did not in fact need the 60 votes if the GOP leadership changed the rules again for this silly useless 5.7 billion dollar cement screen that could be over come by a $15 ladder or just going through regular ports of entry as they have been doing.