Political compromises in Washington aren't easy to find these days, but for how long can an obvious solution to a standoff be ignored? As he reiterated in his address to the nation Tuesday night, President Donald Trump wants $5.7 billion to begin building a wall on the southern border; congressional Democrats refuse. You know the surround: Without a budget agreement, the government went into partial shutdown mode-roughly 25 percent of federal operations-last month.
If only there was a way out of this mess that would give both sides a chance to claim a victory on immigration, or at least provide viable cover stories. There is, and the nice part is it's already been the subject of negotiations. Trump wants the wall because he wants to be seen as tough on immigration. Democrats want to protect the status of young immigrants known as the Dreamers. Some version of wall money in exchange for an agreement to maintain the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program makes sense.
Did we lose you at "makes sense"? Let's not give in to the current national mania for poisonous atmospherics. Granted, Trump is playing hardball at a puzzling time: Democrats have just taken control of the House and are itching for big-stakes political wins. Trump doesn't want to look weak. That's why the partial shutdown is in Week 3. Meanwhile, thousands of federal workers and contractors' employees are on layoff or potentially working without pay. A few more days and this shutdown becomes the longest on record, with uncertain, potentially serious consequences for the government but also the booming U.S. economy.
Many people from Mexico and Central America, including those in last year's caravans, continue to make their way to the border. Tighter security is needed in the form of well-staffed border patrol operations, high-tech surveillance and, in certain locations, improved barriers. So give the president the money he wants to spend on concrete or steel fencing as part of a budget agreement that reopens the government.
In exchange, let's see a deal on DACA. There are about 800,000 protected immigrants in the U.S. who arrived as children. They didn't choose to break the law, their parents did. Many have no memory of their native country. Their status is now tied up in the courts, but Congress can solve this humanitarian problem. Even Trump has said that he'd like to do right by them.
Democrats, be sure to take a long bow for protecting the Dreamers, because you know Trump won't miss his curtain call when construction crews expand the current system of barriers.