Speaker of the House Pelosi Cartoons

Pelosi, Nielsen clashed during border-security meeting: 'I reject your facts,' House speaker said, according to report

"I reject your facts," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, reportedly said to Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen during a border-security meeting this week. "These aren't my facts," Nielsen reportedly responded. "These are the facts."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen got into a tense confrontation this week, with the California Democrat interrupting Nielsen’s presentation on border security and illegal immigration, telling her “I reject your facts.”
The clash between the top House Democrat and a key member of President Trump's Cabinet occurred during a Wednesday meeting in the White House amid the impasse over the government shutdown, with Trump standing firm and demanding $5 billion for the border wall.
At one point during the meeting, according to the Wall Street Journal, Pelosi interrupted Nielsen, who was citing statistics related to the border, including how many criminal illegal immigrants attempted to enter the U.S. last year.
“I reject your facts,” Pelosi told Nielsen
“These aren’t my facts," Nielsen shot back. "These are the facts.”

"These aren’t my facts … These are the facts."
— Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen

Following the episode, Nielsen went to social media to criticize Pelosi and the Democrats for not wanting to hear about the issue of illegal immigration.
“I am disappointed that Dems did not want to hear from @DHSgov about the security & humanitarian crisis we are facing at the border,” Nielsen wrote. “They didn’t want to hear about criminal aliens, drug smugglers, smuggled & abused children or violent caravans trying to breach the border wall.”
“The crisis is not going away-it is getting worse. The status quo in funding & authorities for #DHS is irresponsible & makes our country less secure,” she continued. “Kicking the can down the road is not the answer. I look forward to engaging w Members who want to.”
Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the second-ranking Senate Democrat, also criticized Nielsen’s presentation, telling Bloomberg that it “was not a credible presentation.”
“It was preposterous,” Durbin said. “At a time when we have the lowest level of apprehensions at the border — stopping people from coming in illegally — the lowest level historically, she is saying that we have all these terrorists and criminals and all these people on their way in.”
Nielsen reportedly told the Democrats at the meeting that border officials along the U.S.-Mexico border had apprehended about 3,000 people with terrorist ties and 17,000 criminals last year.
Pelosi also asked quizzed the DHS head whether she was counting anyone crossing the border illegally as having a criminal record, with the administration denying that’s how the figure was devised.
Wednesday’s meeting didn’t resolve the government shutdown as both sides continue to stick to their principles and refuse to concede.
On Friday, following another contentious meeting in the White House with congressional leaders, Trump warned that the partial government shutdown could last “years” and saying he could even declare a “national emergency” to bypass Congress if necessary to build the wall.
“We can call a national emergency [to build a border wall] because of the security of our country,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden, during a lengthy and impromptu press conference on Friday.
“I may do it,” he said, before adding, “If we can do it through a negotiated process, we’re giving it a shot.”

Homeland Security blasts CNN, says TSA 'sick out' report 'grossly misrepresented' situation at airports

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers assist travelers with luggage through a security screening area during a partial federal government shutdown Monday, Dec. 31, 2018, at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in Washington state. (Associated Press)

A Department of Homeland Security spokesman lashed out at CNN on Friday, labeling as "fake news" the network's report that hundreds of Transportation Security Administration screeners at the nation’s airports have been staging a "sick out" this week amid the partial government shutdown.
In a tweet, DHS spokesman Tyler Houlton accused the network of failing to validate its data and not reaching out to agency officials for verification.
"More #FakeNews from @CNN. Security operations at airports have not been impacted by a non-existent sick out. CNN has the cell numbers of multiple @TSA public affairs professionals, but rather than validate statistics, they grossly misrepresented them," the tweet read.
The TSA, meanwhile, tweeted a more measured response that said employee absences began over the holidays but have had minimal impact on security operations.
"Call outs began over the Holiday period and have increased, but are causing minimal impact given there are 51,739 employees supporting the screening process," the tweet said. "TSA is grateful to the agents who show up to work, remain focused on the mission and respectful to the traveling public."
Even in the middle of the shutdown, TSA officers are mandated to work without pay.
Employee union officials told the New York Times that TSA workers at several major airports have called in sick since the shutdown began Dec. 22. More than 150 called out Friday from Kennedy International Airport in New York City, according to the paper.
One unnamed federal official said the call-outs seemed to be part of a coordinated protest, but union officials said many employees who called out sick were most likely looking for alternative employment to make up for lost wages.
The shutdown is beginning its third week.
A TSA spokesperson told the Times that wait times for passengers to board flights could increase if the call-outs persist, and that the agency "is grateful to the agents who show up to work, remain focused on the mission and respectful to the traveling public as they continue the important work necessary to secure the nation’s transportation systems.”
The concern over airport security staffing followed speculation last month over whether Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen would keep her job.
TSA Administrator David Pekoske recently urged President Trump to keep Nielsen despite reports that the president had grown frustrated with her leadership.
"I've worked for Secretary Nielsen for a little over a year now and in my view, she’s been an outstanding secretary of homeland security," said Pekoske, according to the Washington Examiner. "And she has been very, very supportive of me as the TSA administrator, very interested in our issues, and importantly, very engaged with our workforce."

China should think twice before threatening to attack Americans

China is betraying a level of strategic anxiety not yet seen as the impact of trade tariffs looms and its return to its historical power role in the Asia seems to have stalled.
On Dec. 20, Chinese Rear Adm. Lou Yuan, while speaking at a military trade conference, announced that what the United States feared most was casualties and that the easiest way to defeat China’s main rival was to sink two American supercarriers, killing over 10,000 sailors in the process. When that has happened, Admiral Lou announced, then “we’ll see how frightened America is.”
Lou’s statements were followed just a few days later by China’s president, Xi Jinping, who threateningly said China “reserves the option of taking all necessary measures” to ensure “peaceful reunification” with Taiwan, a democracy that has governed itself apart from China since 1949.  Xi added that Beijing was willing to “fight the bloody battle against our enemies,” and menacingly predicted: “Reunification is the historical trend and the right path, Taiwan independence is ... a dead end.”
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This is a stark escalation of language. Taken with other examples of bellicose rhetoric that have increasingly issued from Beijing officials, it is clear that Xi Jinping and his supporters have been badly rattled by the recent events.
China’s leaders assumed after the 2008 global financial crisis that the Communist, centrally controlled economic state’s time had come. It would regain its historic role in the region. It could cast off the cloak of a peaceful rise to assume a hegemonic role in the Asia-Pacific region.
But Xi and his followers have watched their diplomatic, economic and military initiatives come up short, engendering increased resistance from other Indo-Pacific nations rather than the realignment China had expected. Now the Trump administration’s trade tariffs threaten to destabilize the Chinese economy, resulting in a cascade failure of Xi Jinping’s broader strategy and threatening to undermine the legitimacy of the Communist Party, hence the stronger and more strident attacks.
China’s desperate attempts to regain the momentum, however, betray an ignorance of the American culture.
China perceived the lack of strategic focus of the George W. Bush administration and the passive “lead from behind” foreign policy of the Obama administration as American decay and decline.  In reality, the foundational aspects of the American economy remain surprisingly strong and the American fighting spirit is not dead -- merely sleeping. Those who would believe that the sinking of two aircraft carriers would trigger an impulse toward retreat would do well to make themselves aware of the United States’ history and the impact events such as the sinking of the Lusitania, the attack on Pearl Harbor and the collapse of the World Trade Center had on the national psyche. What some have labeled the Jacksonian impulse could be described as a tendency toward great power rage. To be sure, it burns itself out. After all, the U.S. is considering leaving Afghanistan, 17 years later.
But make no mistake: Any attack upon a single U.S. aircraft carrier by long-range aircraft, cruise missiles or ballistic missiles would surely generate a response against the bases from which those weapons were launched, the sensors associated with them and the command-and-control nodes that directed them, and then the United States would turn its attention on the Chinese naval and merchant fleet.
Before China knew what was happening, it would be cut off from the overseas sources of energy and raw materials that fuel its import/export economy. Within weeks it would be without fuel and its factories would be shuttered. The American economy, established in a nation that has most resources domestically available, would be able to ride out the storm, even if China attempted to climb the escalation ladder and attack targets in North America.
For China, it is better to get its more bellicose voices under control and approach the bargaining table with the United States over trade issues in good faith and with an openness to real compromise on the economic issues that divide our two nations, rather than resorting to nationalist saber rattling.
Xi Jinping should try harder to understand his real strategic position while remembering that he who rides the tiger finds it difficult to dismount. There will be no return to global hegemony or Middle Kingdom status. China brought its candle out from under the basket too soon, and its broader, aggressive ambitions have been revealed.
As for the United States, it should follow the lead of President Trump and his new acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, who between them have identified that we are in an era of great power competition that will require more effort and that the focus of that competition is China, and China and China.

Trump warns shutdown could last 'years,' says he may declare 'national emergency' to build border wall

President Trump stood firm Friday on his demands for a border wall after the second White House meeting with congressional leaders this week broke up with no apparent deal, warning Democrats the partial government shutdown could last "years" and saying he could even declare a "national emergency" to bypass Congress if necessary.
“We can call a national emergency [to build a border wall] because of the security of our country,” Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden, during a lengthy and impromptu press conference.
“I may do it,” he said, before adding, “If we can do it through a negotiated process, we’re giving it a shot.”
The press conference underscored how far apart both sides are, even as Trump called the meeting "productive" and suggested the standoff could end soon -- or not. He indicated he was not shifting on his demand for more than $5 billion for funding for a wall on the southern border, saying it was necessary as the border is a "dangerous, horrible disaster."
"This is national security we’re talking about, we’re not talking about games," he told reporters. “We're not playing games, we have to do it."
Despite Trump saying conversations had "come a long way," Democrats were more dour in their assessment. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer exited saying Trump told them "he’d keep the government closed for a very long period of time, months or even years.”
Trump later confirmed in the Rose Garden, "Absolutely I said that," while clarifying he hopes the partial shutdown doesn't last more than a few more days. He said it could be opened "very quickly" if they come to an agreement on the wall. He offered some flexibility only on what the wall would be made of, saying it could be concrete or steel.
"Steel is more expensive than the concrete, but I feel like we’re talking about steel because the other side feels better about it," he said.
Yet House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the Democrats' view is that they cannot resolve the funding dispute until the government fully opens. She said there had been progress only in the sense of a "better understanding" of each other.
Looking for an elusive resolution, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Trump agreed to designate staff to engage in negotiations with congressional leadership aides this weekend. Trump later said the group would "determine what we're going to do about the border." That group would include Vice President Pence and advisor Jared Kushner.
The meeting came on the 14th day of the shutdown, which was triggered by disagreements over the funding of Trump’s promised wall, after Democrats formally took control of the House of Representatives. Trump has said that $5 billion in funding for the wall is non-negotiable, while Democrats have said they will fund more general border security -- but not the wall.
Trump met with Democratic and Republican leaders of both chambers. Ahead of the meeting Trump sent a letter to members of Congress congratulating Pelosi on her election as speaker and calling on Congress to re-open the government.
“As we begin this new Congress, our first task should be to reopen the Government and to deliver on our highest duty as elected officials: the security of the Nation and its borders," he said. “It is the sovereign right of every nation to establish an immigration program in its national interest—lawfully admitting those who have followed the rules, while denying entry to those who break the rules or fail to meet the requirements established in law."
As part of his strategy, he made available to every member a presentation on border security that he said those present at a meeting Wednesday did not want to hear.
“Americans have endured decades of broken promises on illegal immigration. Now, is the time for both parties to rise above the partisan discord, to set aside political convenience, and to put the national interest first,” he wrote.
Democrats, meanwhile, passed legislation in the House that would fund the whole government, but not the wall.  Pelosi accused Republicans of holding government workers hostage for the separate demand of a wall.
"The wall and the government shutdown really have nothing to do with each other," Pelosi said at an MSNBC Town Hall.
"There is no reason to have workers pay a price with their paycheck," she said
The legislation was immediately dismissed by Republican leadership. McConnell, R-Ky., called the bills “a time-wasting act of political posturing” and said that “a resolution will have to be palatable to House Democrats and Senate Republicans alike.”
HOUSE DEMS MOVE TO ELIMINATE ELECTORAL COLLEGE, LIMIT PRESIDENTIAL PARDON POWER AND MORE IN FIRST DAYS BACK
“We need to make policy rather than simply making political theatre,” he told reporters.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said on "Fox & Friends" earlier Friday that it would be up to Pelosi to get her party behind her, including the left flank pushing for impeachment.
“We think we're hopeful because the people that elected Nancy Pelosi didn't elect her to come up here and do nothing and didn't elect her to play political games,” she said. “They elected her to find real solutions and actually work with the president and work with all members of Congress to get things done.”
On Thursday night, Pence said on Fox News' “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that the terms of the negotiations were clear: "Bottom line, if there's no wall, there's no deal."

House Democrats Cartoons

Ocasio-Cortez tells reporter ‘gotta run’ when asked about shutdown paycheck

New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is still mum on whether she will follow her own advice to lawmakers to "have some integrity" and give up their salary during the government shutdown.
"I’ve gotta run," the Democratic Socialist told the New York Post on Thursday after being asked about her salary, rushing for a mock swearing-in with newly elected House Speak Nancy Pelosi.
The questions follow Ocasio-Cortez’ comments on social media during the early days of the shutdown, urging members of Congress to give up their salaries during the government shutdown just like federal workers.
"Next time we have a gov shutdown, Congressional salaries should be furloughed as well," she wrote in a tweet in December. "It's completely unacceptable that members of Congress can force a government shutdown on partisan lines & then have Congressional salaries exempt from that decision."
"Have some integrity," she added.
She later reiterated her position, saying “it’s only fair” that members of Congress would lose their paychecks during the shutdown – forcing them to be more responsible.
“Speaking as a working class member-elect, I think it’s only fair. It would also cause members who actually depend on their salary to think twice about leadership and take a shutdown vote more seriously,” she said.
So far it appears that only a couple Democrats followed Ocasio-Cortez calls. Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono promised to donate her salary during the shutdown to food banks in her home state – a move she did during the 2013 and 2018 government shutdowns.
“As long as Donald Trump refuses to reopen the government, I will be donating my salary to Hawaii’s food banks—who serve nearly one in eight Hawaii residents in need,” she told Hawaii News Now.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who recently announced her presidential exploratory committee, pledged to donate her salary to a Jewish charity.
“Over 7,000 people in Massachusetts have been sent home or are working without pay during the #TrumpShutdown,” she wrote. “Until @realDonaldTrump re-opens the government, I'm donating my salary to @HIASrefugees, a nonprofit that helps refugees and makes our country stronger in the process.”
Ocasio-Cortez was formally sworn into Congress on Thursday. She begins earning $174,000 a year.

Pence: 'No deal' with Dems without border wall funding, Trump 'evaluating' Afghanistan pullout

In an exclusive interview on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight," Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday night affirmed that the White House would reject any Democratic spending bill without funding for a border wall.
The vice president added that President Trump "is in the process of evaluating" whether to remove troops from Afghanistan, and vowed that the military's withdrawal from Syria will be conducted in an "orderly fashion."
Pence's comments came as the new House majority, which was sworn in earlier Thursday, debated an interim, stopgap spending bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security through Feb. 8. The bill, which was ultimately approved late Thursday by a 239 to 192 vote, does not include any new wall money, and Senate Republicans and the White House have both described it as a non-starter that will never become law. Five Republicans voted for the bill.
Another piece of legislation approved by the House late Thursday would fund six of the seven unresolved spending bills through Sept. 30. The bill was approved by a  241-190 vote at approximately 10 p.m. ET, with seven Republicans joining Democrats to vote yea. The measure, which the White House has also said will not become law, puts together six of the seven unresolved appropriations bills in one package.
"Democrats broke off negotiations about a week ago, but the president’s made it clear: We’re here to make a deal, but it’s a deal that’s going to result in achieving real gains on border security," Pence said. "And, you have no border security without a wall. We will have no deal without a wall.
"What we’ve completely focused on is keeping the president’s promise, to build a wall, to pass legislation that provides other support for border security, that gives the people that are enforcing our laws at the border, and across the border -- enforcing our immigration laws, the resources and the tools that they need."
The vice president pointed to a compromise floated during a legislative showdown over the summer, which would have provided enhanced statutory protections to so-called "Dreamers," or illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. at a young age. The president had signaled support for the measure.
"There’s a lot of people talking about a lot of different ideas, you know frankly, the better part of a year ago, the president expressed a willingness to deal with the issue of Dreamers in a compassionate way," Pence said. "People who were brought here as children, and through no fault of their own -- he’s discussed that, it’s being talked about."

While U.S. authorities "actually saw a decline in illegal immigration and incursions on our southern border" in the early days of Trump's presidency, Pence said, "in the last 12 months we’ve literally seen a dramatic increase ... 2,000 people a day [are] apprehended at our border or found to be inadmissible, trying to enter our country."
The solution, Pence said, is a "barrier," along with "technology, drones, the kind of support that our border agents know will assist them in doing their job. But bottom line, if there’s no wall, there’s no deal."

"But bottom line: If there’s no wall, there’s no deal."
— Vice President Mike Pence

Separately, Pence suggested that Trump's planned pullout from Syria was appropriate because terrorists there have been defeated -- but, he added, the fight against the Islamic State terror network will continue.
"The reality is we have defeated ISIS, we have defeated the caliphate," Pence said. "And, what the president announced just before Christmas is not that we’re giving up on the fight of ISIS; we’re going to continue to lean into the fight on ISIS."
Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Retired Army Col. Douglas MacGregor praised Trump's decision, saying U.S. overseas commitments have been a "disaster" for everyday Americans.
However, several top Republicans, including South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, have said Trump's initially planned 30-day pullout was too hasty. After speaking with Trump this week, Graham said that the president has agreed to slow the drawdown.
Asked whether Trump would similarly pursue an Afghanistan withdrawal, as he has reportedly been debating, Pence said only that the idea was under active consideration.
The potential maneuver would involve more than 3,000 U.S. troops getting pulled out, a senior U.S. official told Fox News in December. There are 15,000 troops currently on the ground in Afghanistan.
"Well, the president is in the process of evaluating that, as we speak," Pence said. "I was in Afghanistan last year. In his speech in August, President Trump, basically through new rules of engagement, new resources, additional military personnel, gave our folks on the ground the ability to take the fight, be at the tip of the spear, supporting the Afghan National Army in the battle against the Taliban, ISIS, Khorasan, Al Qaeda, re-emerging in Afghanistan."