On Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-VA) said that Democrats rejected the White House offer on the DHS shutdown and that people will face “four-hour waits at TSA lines because of Donald Trump and the Republicans’ shutdown. I think the President is going to start to feel a lot of pressure as we head into that spring break travel season” and he hopes that will “create a breakthrough for a deal.”
Host Jake Tapper said, “Now, as you note, Republicans are not on board with the Democrats’ proposal to fund TSA separately from the rest of the Department of Homeland Security. So, if both sides just refuse to blink, this is going to get worse and worse and worse, not only for TSA agents, for local economies, smaller airports will shut down. We had a Senator on the show the other day, I think Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who said that Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), who often tries to work through a lot of these issues with negotiations, the Democrats aren’t even meeting with her.”
Walkinshaw responded, “Well, my understanding is the White House put forward an offer. Democratic leaders have rejected that. The White House is considering sending over another offer. But, look, I listened there to Secretary Duffy and what he’s facing, what President Trump is facing the next couple of weeks as we head into the spring break travel season, Americans are going to be staring down the face of $4-a-gallon gas prices because of Donald Trump’s war in Iran and four-hour waits at TSA lines because of Donald Trump and the Republicans’ shutdown. I think the President is going to start to feel a lot of pressure as we head into that spring break travel season. I hope that will help break through — create a breakthrough for a deal.”
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