The shutdown was proof of Trump’s stark incapacity for leadership

[Rogue Valley]

The shutdown was proof of Trump’s stark incapacity for leadership

1/25/19
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S temper tantrum over Congress’s refusal to fund a border wall paralyzed much of the government for five weeks, sapped the morale and wallets of hundreds of thousands of federal workers and low-wage contractors, left millions of Americans disgusted and dismayed, and diminished the United States in the eyes of the world. The impasse was proof of the president’s stark incapacity for leadership, which he reconfirmed Friday by threatening to re-shutter the government in three weeks. In announcing his non-deal with Congress, Mr. Trump rehashed his tired and truth-free arguments that building a massive new border wall, to supplement hundreds of miles of barriers already in place along high-trafficked segments of the border, would cause crime to plummet and drug trafficking to dry up. He has lost that argument with the American people, a majority of whom oppose building the wall and blame him and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, according to the latest Post-ABC News poll.

If Mr. Trump continues to insist on funding for a piece of wall, which he says is a matter of “no choice,” he should offer serious concessions on immigration to the Democrats — not the phony package peppered with poison pills that he rolled out a week ago. , but a secure future for two groups whose protections from deportation he has tried to rescind: “dreamers” brought to this country as children by their parents, and migrants who have been living legally in the United States on temporary protected status, having fled unrest and natural disasters at home. For the dreamers, that would mean a path to legal status for 1.5 million or more of them who are eligible for the Obama-era program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. If Mr. Trump resists that — if he reverts to another shutdown in which he again treats as pawns hundreds of thousands of the “incredible” federal workers he lauded on Friday — he will simply pile failure upon failure. If he declares an emergency as a means to divert federal funds for building a wall, he will invite litigation in what amounts to a profoundly undemocratic end run. Mr. Trump has failed as a dealmaker. Congress might yet salvage something worthwhile from this sorry episode.

Congress should consider passing a new law whereby automatic renewals of government funding "Continuing Resolutions" (CRs) would be triggered for another three months if Congress cannot agree on funding terms or the president refuses to sign Congressional funding CRs. Never again should a president or a political party have the leverage to shut this great nation down and hold it hostage for political purposes.

Trump just suffered a resounding and humiliating defeat and ruined whatever political capital he possessed. I can envision Democrats generously funding additional fencing similar to what exists today on the border. But I highly doubt any funding will be earmarked for a 30' high concrete wall Trump and his base envision. The impetus is strong for a bipartisan Congressional DHS border security agreement. Unfortunately, I also highly doubt that such a bipartisan Congressional DHS funding bill will satisfy the political necessities of Donald Trump. After all, he has to make amends to Coulter, Limbaugh, and his ever-shrinking political base. Don't be surprised when Trump declares a "national emergency" on February 15. It is a ... strange sort of national emergency which can seemingly wait patiently until Donald Trump once again requires some gravitas.

 

[Mycroft]

The shutdown was proof of Trump’s stark incapacity for leadership

Congress should consider passing a new law whereby automatic renewals of government funding "Continuing Resolutions" (CRs) would be triggered for another three months if Congress cannot agree on funding terms or the president refuses to sign Congressional funding CRs.

That's a stupid idea. Fortunately, if Congress was dumb enough to pass such a law, Trump would veto it.

I have a better idea:

1. Abolish CR's. Require actual funding bills.

2. Pass a law that states that, in the event of failure to pass a funding bill, the agencies affected TOTALLY shut down. Nobody goes to work. No "essential personnel". No work gets done.

If this were done, you would never see a government shutdown again...unless the country is truly broke.

 

[Skeptic Bob]

That's a stupid idea. Fortunately, if Congress was dumb enough to pass such a law, Trump would veto it.

I have a better idea:

1. Abolish CR's. Require actual funding bills.

2. Pass a law that states that, in the event of failure to pass a funding bill, the agencies affected TOTALLY shut down. Nobody goes to work. No "essential personnel". No work gets done.

If this were done, you would never see a government shutdown again...unless the country is truly broke.

That would also force a President to sign any budget bill he is given, because if essential personnel don’t work then that would make the President and his family a sitting duck for assasination as he would have no security. Congress members don’t have the same target on their heads.

 

[Mycroft]

That would also force a President to sign any budget bill he is given, because if essential personnel don’t work then that would make the President and his family a sitting duck for assasination as he would have no security. Congress members don’t have the same target on their heads.

Then he'd better be able to make a good case for not signing the bill, eh? And Congress had better be able to make a good case for sending him the bill.

 

[Skeptic Bob]

Then he'd better be able to make a good case for not signing the bill, eh? And Congress had better be able to make a good case for sending him the bill.

But under your proposed rules Congress wouldn’t have to make a good case. They just send the bill to the President to sign. If he doesn’t sign he puts his family’s life at risk. Might as well just remove the President from the equation and not require a Presidential signature.

 

[Rogue Valley]

That's a stupid idea. Fortunately, if Congress was dumb enough to pass such a law, Trump would veto it.

Override his veto.

 

[Mr Person]

As others have said elsewhere, I do sort of worry about what he'll end up doing. His self-absorption and petty vindictiveness regularly get the better of him. The problem is that a POTUS like that can do real damage if they truly fly off the handle, and I'd bet he's been absolutely stewing ever since he folded.

 

[mike2810]

I can agree it shows the lack of leadership by Trump. It also shows the lack of members of Congress to get their act together. We still have no final 2018 budget with 1/4 of the fiscal year gone. Congress should be working on the 2020 budget by now.