House GOP, Trump team hatch border wall plan

[highplainsdem]

Source: Politico

House Republicans and Donald Trump's team are coalescing around a multi-billion dollar plan to make good on the president-elect's campaign vows to build a wall between the United States and Mexico, according to top Republican lawmakers and aides.

Republican leaders, in tandem with Trump’s transition staff, are considering using a 2006 law signed by former President George W. Bush that authorized the construction of 700 miles-plus of “physical barrier” on the southern border. The law was never fully implemented and did not include a sunset provision, allowing Trump to pick up where Bush left off — with the help of new money from Congress.

Yet the plan could potentially provoke a showdown with Democrats over government funding. Republicans are considering whether to tuck the border wall funding into a must-pass spending bill that must be enacted by the end of April. GOP lawmakers and aides believe they could win a public relations war over the matter by daring Democrats — particularly vulnerable red-state senators up for reelection next year — to shutter the government over one of Trump’s most popular campaign pledges.

-snip-

Insiders say Customs and Border Protection, at the request of the incoming Trump administration, has identified about 400 miles on the U.S.-Mexico border where structures could be erected or need to be fortified. Should Trump line that with double-layer fencing, for instance, the cost would be about $4.2 billion. If Trump opt to build a brick or concrete wall instead, the price tag would only skyrocket.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/house-gop-trump-border-wall-233237

[weissmam]

1. talk about wasting Money

[louis-t]

4. Hmm, lower taxes, spend billions on a wall

sounds like draining the treasury and running huge deficits. Typical repug plan.

[OldRedneck]

2. Not to worry . . .

Mexico will pay for it. Or maybe Ford or GM. Or something like that, I'm not really clear on the matter.

[reggaehead]

16. Read the article

We will pay for it thru a Bush era appropriations measure

[DrToast]

3. No way

I don't believe this. They can't possibly be this stupid.

[pangaia]

5. Surely you jest.

[cstanleytech]

15. Given the Republican performance for the last 20+ years I can. nt

[George II]

6. Are the trying to keep Mexicans out or Americans in??????

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. Who knows?

Rorschach: "None of you seem to understand. I'm not locked in here with you. You're locked in here with *ME*!"
-Watchmen

[George II]

14. Hah! To lighten the mood.....

Along those lines, reminds me of a quasi-math puzzle. When there are two people on an elevator and someone farts, both of them knows who did it. When there are three people on the elevator, only one person knows!

[left-of-center2012]

7. Having Trump as President should be enough to keep people away n/t

[pangaia]

8. What about building a border of solar panels?

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly called for Mexico to build a wall between our countries. There is indeed a way that Mexico could create a barrier between the U.S. and Mexico, one constructed exclusively on the Mexican side, with substantial benefits for both countries and the planet: a solar border.

Thus, building a long series of such plants all along the Mexican side of the border could power cities on both sides faster and more cheaply than similar arrays built north of the border.

Most importantly, it would make a significant contribution to the global battle against carbon emissions, since the electricity generated would be carbon neutral, and the purchase of so much solar technology would bring its price down further.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/solar-panels-us-mexico_us_5857fa6be4b0390447097e56

[Retrograde]

9. And how is that going to benefit Exxon

and all the rest of the kleptocracy he's putting in place?

[pangaia]

12. Well, you have a point there...

[SammyWinstonJack]

19. No way. That would be doing something good and scummy repukes NEVER do

anything that would be considered good.

Man, I love this idea! Sounds like something Bernie would do.

[NRaleighLiberal]

10. .

[dhill926]

11. good...let them vote on it...

get them on record. And eviscerate them in 2018 when the economy is tanking....

[Initech]

17. The real terrorists of this world isn't the Islam religion, it's the GOP.

[SammyWinstonJack]

18. What a waste of tax dollars. Repeal health care for tens of millions and

nevermind the jobs lost in doing so, ah screw it. I HATE REPUBLICANS!

[Bengus81]

20. Gosh...Mexico says STUFF IT Trump,we're not paying.

Wow,who'd a thunk it?? Where does Donald Drumph keep getting 700 miles from? Try about 2,000 or so. Figures I've heard over and over are about 10 BILLION to build it. But...just like Bush and Iraq,Trump will find someone to tell the lemmings it will cost about $100k.