Editor's Note: This piece was authored by Townhall intern Ian Snively.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday had her weekly press conference, speaking about today's House-passed bill to provide funding for Homeland Security and tackling border security.
"Democrats have always been strong about honoring our oath of office to protect and defend the American people," Pelosi said. "protecting our borders; securing our borders, is an important part of that."
Pelosi said she wants the Senate to pass the plan to keep portions of the government open until Feb 8 for the purpose of discussion. She said she considered border security important but stated that 90 percent of drugs come from ports of entry, and not from unprotected portions of the Mexico to U.S. border where President Donald Trump plans to build his wall.
"In that legislation, we have over half a billion dollars to build infrastructure to secure, to enhance, and perhaps even increase the number of ports of entry," Pelosi said. On top of that, the bill offers half a billion dollars to add more immigration judges to "address the backlog of processing cases," for immigrants seeking asylum as well as plans to assist the Central American countries.
"These three things were really in the President's proposal the other day," said Pelosi, referencing Trump's past deal to provide protections for Dreamers in exchange for border wall funding. Pelosi said that Republicans refused to support the homeland security bill despite it's having similar plans to Trump's proposal.
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The legislation passed in the House earlier today “in a 231-180 vote,” according to The Hill. Pelosi said the bill is designed more for reopening the government, and not necessarily meant to be a comprehensive measure on border security. Democrats demand that the government reopen before any serious discussions about border security can be made.
Pelosi, while doubling down on her refusal to help fund a border wall, addressed Trump's decision today to delay his State of The Union Address.
“[The address] is so unimportant in the lives of the American people," Pelosi said.
After the address, Trump went to Twitter in response to Pelosi’s criticisms regarding the wall.
“Nancy just said she ‘just doesn’t understand why?’,” Trump wrote. “Very simply, without a Wall it all doesn’t work. Our Country has a chance to greatly reduce Crime, Human Trafficking, Gangs and Drugs. Should have been done for decades. We will not Cave!”
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