Trump reopen government new plan pushed back by Dem

President Trump on Saturday pitched linking funding for the border wall with temporary protections for some undocumented immigrants as a pathway out of the weeks-long partial shutdown, but quickly ran into pushback from Democrats.

Trump, who made his offer during a televised speech from the White House, floated extending protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program recipients for three years and a three-year extension of protections for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders in exchange for more than $5 billion for a border wall.

Trump added that he was making his pitch to “break the logjam” that has paralyzed Washington since late December, leaving roughly a quarter of the government closed and forcing roughly 800,000 federal employees be furloughed or work without pay.

The partial government shutdown, which is the longest lapse in funding in modern history, is currently in its 29th day amid an entrenched stalemate over funding for Trump’s proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.Several polls have shown that a majority of Americans blame Trump for the partial shutdown. But Trump during his speech Saturday afternoon tried to build pressure on Democrats to back his plan and return to the negotiating table.

Talks between the president and congressional Democratic leadership have been at a standstill since the president left a meeting earlier this month when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she wouldn’t discuss border wall funding even if he reopened the government.

Trump, seeking to make his case, seized on his belief that there is a “crisis” along the border requiring “urgent action.”

“Illegal immigration reduces wages and strains public services. The lack of border control provides a gateway, a very wide and open gateway, for criminals and gang members to enter the United States,” he said.

He also stressed that he had worked with rank-and-file members in both parties and urged them to back his request, characterizing it as “common sense” with “lots of compromise.”

“By incorporating the priorities of rank-and-file Democrats in our plan we hope they will over their enthusiastic support. … This is a common sense compromise both parties should embrace. The radical left can never control our borders,” he said.