Free Republic

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced a deal between the White House and Congress to reopen the portion of federal government that had been shuttered since December. In making the announcement, the president thanked both Democrats and Republicans for reaching a deal as he praised the 800,000 federal workers who had been furloughed for their “patriotism” and dedication to the country. Much to the angst of his supporters, the 21-day stopgap funding measure POTUS agreed to sign does not include any money for additional border walls and barriers. But that’s because Democrats were demanding that the president reopen the government...

Donald Trump didn’t carry many parts of Texas’ heavily Democratic areas along the border with Mexico, but he won remote Hudspeth County thanks to people like Terry Rose. And the 71-year-old mechanic saw the longest shutdown in U.S. history as a campaign promise kept. “I want less government. That’s what we’re getting,” said Rose, who was having lunch with a group of friends in Fort Hancock, an enclave with fields of cotton, alfalfa and chili peppers just across the border from El Porvenir, Mexico. “I’m understanding about federal employees, but if you’re ‘non-essential’ it’s hard to feel too badly for...

It was as predictable as the sunrise – the second the “deal” was announced Friday to reopen the government, smug liberals took to social media to declare victory. And why not? They won. But what exactly did they win? And is the fight really over?What Democrats won is a continued unsecured border. Americans will continue to be victims of crimes, up to and including being murdered at the hands of people who shouldn’t be in the country in the first place, congratulations. Those criminals will continue to enjoy the protections of Democratic Party officials until they manage to cross the...

In our Principles of Microeconomics courses, we sometimes consider whether a firm should shut down some line of production. A firm shuts down when it ceases operations—when it closes down and stops its production. The firm stops spending money on everything except its fixed costs. A federal government “shutdown” has a completely different meaning. The Definition of a Government Shutdown There has been much handwringing over the current government shutdown that began on December 22 of last year. The Treasury Department, with its Daily Treasury Statements, has provided us with details regarding federal spending through January 18. So we have...

Democrats naturally are gloating, calling it a surrender and admonishing Trump to “learn his lesson” and acknowledge his defeat by the wise and all-knowing Nancy Pelosi. This certainly gives them a sugar high while providing evidence for future use that their priority is humiliating Trump rather than attending to the needs of border security. Nonetheless, as President Trump correctly noted in the Rose Garden address, it was an “agreement.” The Dems agreed to procedural rules that can be used to make the case for border barrier construction. The deal will be hashed out in the conference committee, which will then...

Did you hear the one about the TSA agent who stole $50,000 worth of electronics equipment from travelers by slipping iPads down his pants? Or the Phoenix-based TSA security director who deliberately increased screening wait times in order to justify increasing his own staff count? Or the TSA administrator who approved the practice of giving TSA trainees test answers in advance of their certification exams? ... The shutdown vividly demonstrates the need to fully privatize the Transportation Security Administration. Now there is the potential for a bipartisan consensus about doing just that. With a budget of $7.8 billion, TSA is...

America is full of visible and invisible walls. In the first half of the last century, our politics had been dedicated to tearing down the walls between classes, races and genders. And then in the second half of the century, radicals terrified of what that meant for their plans, began building them up again while adding new divisions until every city, workplace and even family is divided by many invisible walls. Walls represent divisions. Whether you support or oppose a particular wall depends on whether you believe a division is legally, morally or philosophically legitimate. The walls that the radicals...

The Wall—Trump Will Have the Last Laugh Most people think short term. They’re looking for quick fixes for their problems. A quick salve for their pain. They think in terms of wins and losses for every move they make. But occasionally, we’ll see someone who thinks more strategically. Someone who has tough enough skin to absorb the cruel insults of this world. Someone who looks at each situation and its challenges, and finds a way to achieve a positive outcome—for all parties, not just those on his “team.” President Trump is one such man. How do I know that? He...

Trump lost this shutdown battle because federal workers, such as those working in airports without pay, stopped showing up. Even if the law says certain essential workers must show up during a shutdown, if they are not getting paid, many will not. Any future shutdown must include funds to pay federal workers who are required to show up.The Federal government does a lot of things that are non-essential, such as operating national parks, funding scientific research, funding the arts through the NEA, giving "loans" through the Small Business Administration, etc. We can tolerate an indefinite government shutdown if and only...

I am glad the Schumer shutdown is over. I am glad federal workers will finally be paid. For weeks, Democrats held their paychecks hostage. Yesterday, I fought hard to immediately pay every single essential federal employee – every essential employee at the Coast Guard, the TSA, air traffic controllers, Border Patrol agents, ICE agents, FBI agents, and those throughout law enforcement. Chuck Schumer and the Democrats cynically objected to that legislation and killed it on the Senate floor. The Democrats have claimed that, once the shutdown ends, they are willing to negotiate in good faith to secure the border. Given...

I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border Wall. This was in no way a concession. It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!

President Trump on Friday sought to defend his decision earlier that day to end the ongoing partial government shutdown without getting funding for his long-desired border wall. “I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border Wall. This was in no way a concession," Trump tweeted. "It was taking care of millions of people who were getting badly hurt by the Shutdown with the understanding that in 21 days, if no deal is done, it’s off to the races!” Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump I wish people would read or listen to my words on the Border...

Unknown to most Americans, a vast set of laws gives the president greatly enhanced powers during emergencies. President Donald Trump’s threats to bypass Congress and secure funding for a wall along the border with Mexico by declaring a national emergency are not just posturing. The Brennan Center, building on previous research, has identified 123 statutory powers that may become available to the president when de declares a national emergency, including two that might offer some legal cover for his wall-building ambitions (10 U.S.C. 2808 (a) and 33 U.S.C. 2293 on our list below). An additional 13 statutory powers become available...

Diamond and Silk's reaction to today's announcement by President Trump. Well worth listening to.

... Trump opens the government without any promise to build a border wall. Open Borders Wins! ...

A small wedding business in Austin is taking a huge blow due to the government shutdown. Lorelei Starbuck, owner of "Elope in Austin" says federal employees trying to get married through her company have had to back out because of the lack of money. Starbuck says her business has seen a 50-percent drop in calls and inquiries in the last two weeks. The slow bookings have impacted everyone that takes a part in the wedding including caterers, officiants, photographers, and florists. “It's going to take some time to rebuild the business we've lost. But it will definitely impact our bottom...

The Senate has unanimously passed a hard-fought measure to reopen shuttered government agencies for three weeks, ending a five-week partial shutdown sparked by President Donald Trump’s demands for immediate money to build his long-sought border wall. The measure passed the Senate by voice vote Friday hours after Trump relented. It now goes to the House, which is expected to quickly pass the measure and send it to the White House for Trump’s signature.

George Mason University students were shocked that President Donald Trump attempted to make compromises with Democrats to get the border wall built, as shown on a video from CampusReform.org posted Friday. Cabot Phillips, the media director for CampusReform, went to the campus recently to talk to students. He asked them who they blamed the government shutdown on. All of the students in the video said Trump. “I think specifically Trump,” one student said. “This has been the longest government shutdown and he is mainly responsible.” Phillips then asked students if Democrats should consider Trump’s offer for a wall if...

President Trump will speak in the Rose Garden about the partial government shutdown at 1:30 p.m ET on Friday -- an indication that a possible short-term deal may have been reached to end the stalemate, even as reports emerged that there is no funding for a border wall in the deal. "The President will make remarks regarding the shutdown in the Rose Garden today at 1:30pm," Sanders tweeted. It was not immediately clear what Trump would say, but White House officials told Fox News that the situation was still in flux. Meanwhile, another well-placed source told Fox News that negotiators...

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) blocked a request to pay the Coast Guard on Thursday after Republicans refused to also open the rest of the federal government. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) tried to take up legislation to pay the Coast Guard, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security. Schumer blocked the request after first asking if Kennedy would modify his request to instead reopen the quarter of the government currently closed. "President Trump is responsible not only for thousands of Coast Guard personnel not getting paid but hundreds of thousands of other federal employees also not getting...