It seems that more and more Democrats are beginning to change their tune and show support for President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall, despite the push from House Democrats being led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to stop the wall’s construction.
Centrist Democratic Senator of West Virginia, Joe Manchin, stated that the Democrats do see that there is a need for border security.
“On the Senate side, we understand. I don’t think any senators … said they don’t want any secured structure fence or wall or whatever you want to call it,” Manchin said.
Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner also explained that there is a need for security.
“I know we’re going to have to add additional border security. … We’ve got about 700 miles of existing fencing. Where folks say we need additional barrier protections, I’m all for it,” Warner stated last week.
Recently, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana “issued a release on border security, noting that Democratic senators including Chris Coons and Tom Carper of Delaware as well as Ben Cardin of Maryland have made comments supporting border barriers,” according to the Western Journal.
Independent Senator Angus King of Maine has voiced support for barriers along the border.
Politico has reported that some House Democrats are looking for a barrier, too. Freshman Democratic Congresswoman Elaine Luria led a group who last week pushed for a speedy vote on the wall.
Luria proposed, “the Democratic Majority will immediately begin debate in committee on the supplemental discretionary funding request by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for border security. This will allow DHS leadership to explain in detail how the funds will be used and whether this expenditure will have the reported results presented by the President,” according to a letter received by Nancy Pelosi.
“Investments in technology at the border, you have to have more border agents and if we can throw in there some other immigration reforms that have been hampering us for the last couple years we should try and get that done too,” Brindisi said.
The Washington Post reported that the Democrats have been hoping for a barrier for a while.
Supports of border barriers include former President Barack Obama, who in a 2006 vote while still a senator from Illinois called border fencing “better security along our borders.”
The Post noted that California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein once called for a fence along the entire border with Mexico.
Former Vice President Joe Biden, while still a senator, was proud of a vote “for 700 miles of fence.”
“People are driving across that border with tons, tons — hear me — tons of everything from byproducts for methamphetamine to cocaine to heroin. And it’s all coming up through corrupt Mexico,” Biden said at the time.