Sen. Susan Collins, who joined six Republican senators to vote with Democrats to end the government shutdown without funding for a wall, said she thinks Congress will work out an agreement on “physical barriers” but not to the extent President Trump wants.
“I think what will happen is that the efforts to continue to build physical barriers, which have gone on in the last two administrations, will continue, but not to the degree the president has requested,” the Republican from Maine said Sunday on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
Collins said lawmakers involved in the bipartisan talks should consult experts, including Customs and Border Patrol officials, to determine the best approach to border security.
“It’s going to be a combination of physical barriers, technology, more border patrol agents, more immigration judges, more sensors,” she said. “It’s got to be an all of the above approach.”
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) said after feeling the consequences of the 35-day government shutdown he’s “reasonably optimistic” that negotiations will result in a successful conclusion.
“I’m reasonably optimistic. I think everybody’s stepped out into the new world we’re in – Republican Senate, Democratic House, new Speaker, Republican president,” he said on “Fox News Sunday.”
“The initial touching of the gloves was not producing the kind of result that we need to produce here,” he continued. “So I’m optimistic, and we need to work hard to see that we find how we can solve this in a way that the president gets what he needs, but the American people fundamentally get the government that they deserve.”
Trump last Friday signed a bill that funds the government until Feb. 15 but that doesn’t contain the $5.7 billion he wanted for the border barrier.
But the bill created a bipartisan conference of lawmakers who will continue to negotiate.
Two bills came up short in meeting the threshold of 60 votes needed for passage in the Senate last Thursday.
The Democrats’ bill funding the government but not Trump’s wall was defeated 52-44.
A Trump-supported bill that included $5.7 billion for the barrier failed by a 50-47 vote.
