Democrats Resist Pelosi

House Democrats Signal They’re Open To ‘Some Element Of A Physical Barrier,’ ‘A Partial Wall,’ ‘More Fencing’

REP. COLLIN PETERSON (D-MN), House Agriculture Committee Chairman: “Give Trump the money… I’d give him the whole thing…and put strings on it so you make sure he puts the wall where it needs to be. Why are we fighting over this? We’re going to build that wall anyway, at some time.” (“Peterson Says Democrats Should 'Give Trump The Money' For Border Wall,” KFGO, 1/22/2019)

REP. ADAM SMITH (D-WA), House Armed Services Committee Chairman: “The wall is not in itself a bad idea, it’s just – it’s been done.” (ABC News, 1/06/2019)

REP. CHERI BUSTOS (D-IL), DCCC Chair: “If we have a partial wall, if we have fencing, if we have technology used to keep our borders safe, all of that is fine …” (“DCCC Chair Signals Support For 'Partial Wall' Funding: 'There's Got To Be Some Give And Take,'” The Washington Times, 1/04/2019)

REP. ANTHIONY BRINDISI (D-NY): “Some element of a physical barrier, better technology, more border agents are all things I support.” (“CNY Reps. Katko and Brindisi Share Common Goals: End the Shutdown, Strengthen Southern Border,” WAER, 1/11/2019)

REP. ELISSA SLOTKIN (D-MI): “[A]m I willing to talk about more fencing and more drones and technology and radar and border agents? Absolutely.” (The New York Times, 1/19/2019)

FOX NEWS’ KRISTIN FISHER: “You were saying that you would support some funding for some kind of physical barrier at the border, is that right?”

REP. KATIE HILL (D-CA): “Yeah…. We know that there’s already fencing and other physical barriers across the border in many different places, but there are gaps, and we need to find ways of filling those gaps, repairing the fencing…. For many of us there’s not really doubt that some kind of physical barrier is necessary.” (Fox News, 1/12/2019)

“Rep. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) stood up in the closed-door meeting Wednesday to urge fellow Democrats to consider trading some amount of wall funding for legal protections for the thousands of immigrants brought the country as children …” (“Freshman Dems Feeling The Heat As Shutdown Drags On,” Politico, 1/09/2019)

“‘I’m not going to rule anything out, I really am not,’ [Rep. Colin] Allred [D-TX] responded when asked if he would support some border wall funding in exchange for Democratic immigration priorities.” (“Freshman Dems Feeling The Heat As Shutdown Drags On,” Politico, 1/09/2019)

REP. JOHN GARAMENDI (D-CA): “And there are numerous things that need to be done to enhance border security. Certainly, fences and walls are a piece of it …” (CNN, 12/13/2018)

REP. ABIGAIL SPANBERGER (D-VA): “If I am getting comments and contact from my constituents expressing concern that the Democrats are not prioritizing security, then I think we can do better.” (“Freshman Dems Feeling The Heat As Shutdown Drags On,” Politico, 1/09/2019)

“A group of centrist House Democrats, eager to end the shutdown and sick of political posturing, is pressing Speaker Nancy Pelosi to counter President Donald Trump’s immigration proposal with her own potential compromise. The group, led by Rep. Elaine Luria of Virginia, is asking the California Democrat to offer Trump a vote on his border wall sometime in February if he signs a bill reopening the federal government, according to a draft copy of the letter obtained by POLITICO…. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have vowed not to negotiate on Trump’s border wall with Mexico until the president reopens the government …” (“Centrist Dems Urge Pelosi To Break Shutdown Stalemate,” Politico, 1/22/2019)

Other Democrats Vent Their Frustrations At Speaker Pelosi’s Refusal To Negotiate

REP. SLOTKIN: “Maybe it’s an outlier view compared to some others in the Democratic Party, but I believe we have a responsibility to get in a room and negotiate.” (The New York Times, 1/15/2019)

REP. JOSH GOTTHEIMER (D-NJ): “[W]e have got to actually come to the table and have a real conversation, and not just on TV screens yelling at each other, but actually really sit down face to face and keep that conversation going.” (Fox News’ “Your World w/ Neil Cavuto,” 1/16/2019)

• REP. GOTTHEIMER: “The idea of walking away is unacceptable.” (“Pelosi Struggles to Keep Dems United During Government Shutdown,” Washington Free Beacon, 1/17/2019)

REP. LUCY McBATH (D-GA): “I hope that we can all come to a compromise because that’s the way things get done…. If we don’t compromise, the American people are the ones who get hurt.” (“Freshman Dems Feeling The Heat As Shutdown Drags On,” Politico, 1/09/2019)

REP. ELAINE LURIA (D-VA): “We’re all very frustrated by the partisanship.” (The New York Times, 1/19/2019)

REP. JEFF VAN DREW (D-NJ): “I think we should all be flexible and work together on a resolution…. Everybody is being too rigid and that’s part of the problem, we should all be more willing to compromise.” (“Pelosi Struggles to Keep Dems United During Government Shutdown,” Washington Free Beacon, 1/17/2019)

• REP. VAN DREW: “If I had the opportunity to vote for some sort of a deal, I would.” (“Some Democrats Want To Do A Deal With Trump For The Border Wall. That’s A Problem For Nancy Pelosi,” VICE News, 1/08/2019)

REP. AMI BERA (D-CA): “Give us a chance to protect the Dreamers; maybe we can give something on border security.” (“Some Democrats Want To Do A Deal With Trump For The Border Wall. That’s A Problem For Nancy Pelosi,” VICE News, 1/08/2019)