7. While Trump prepared to talk to the nation on immigration, Mexico took action on their southern border
— With the information that a new caravan is heading towards Mexico’s border the government is planning to put armed guards at 370 illegal entry points into the country.
— Interior Secretary Olga Sanchez Cordero said the southern border crossings “will be guarded and controlled to prevent the entry of undocumented people”
6. Congressman Mo Brooks introduces the “No Work Without Pay Act” requiring employees who work during a government shutdown to receive their pay
— Brooks drew a clear distinction between furloughed employees who are sent home and federal employees who still have to show up to work like TSA agents and border patrol agents, who still must come to work even though paychecks are frozen.
— Story after story of hardship caused to federal employees has made rounds during shutdowns. The fact that some employees are still working without pay while having to sell items and worry about gas money to get to work is no doubt a more sympathetic angle than government employees sitting at home who will eventually get paid.
5. Republican support for executive action on a border wall grows
— Perhaps the Republicans are seeking a way out or they are tired of the non-stop media onslaught, but some Republicans are pushing for the White House to provide a way to end the shutdown.
— If the president would declare a national emergency, something President Barack Obama did 12 times, he could then use unallocated military funds during a national emergency at his discretion.
4. The Alabama Legislature elected their leaders for the next quadrennium
— The total tally for Speaker McCutcheon (R-Monrovia) was 98-1 with Rep. Mary Moore (D-Birmingham) casting the only “no” vote. The speaker called on legislators to serve their constituents and not themselves, saying, “As a legislator, you have two choices before you. You can choose to be guided by your own ambitions, desires and personal interests, or you can choose to be led by a desire to make Alabama a better place for the constituents you represent.”
— In the Alabama Senate, senators of both parties unanimously re-elected President Pro Tempore Del Marsh (R-Anniston) by a vote of 32-0. This is Marsh’s third consecutive term. Marsh tweeted his vision moving forward, saying, “I look forward to working with Senate Majority Leader Greg Reed, Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton and all of my colleagues in the Legislature as well as Governor Ivey and Lt. Governor Ainsworth as we tackle the tough issues facing Alabama and continue passing balanced budgets and conservative pro-growth policies that have led to an unprecedented record-setting economy.”
3. President Donald Trump’s numbers sag in Alabama; A majority of Democrats now identify as “liberals” for the first time ever while more Americans identify as conservative
— President Trump’s approval rating has dropped from 62 percent in 2016 to 58 percent while his disapproval has climbed from 26 to 37 percent. That marks a net 15 points difference from when he was elected in 2016.
— Liberal Democrats have seen their power in the Democratic Party grow significantly over the last 25 years. In 1994, only 25 percent of Democrats saw themselves as “liberals.” Today, that number is 51 percent. Conservatives still outnumber liberals 35 percent to 26 percent overall.
2. The Democrats’ response to the president began hours before his speech as they pre-emptively called him a liar
— Senator Jerry Nadler (D-NY) said the president was likely to lie before the speech even took place. Meanwhile, calls for networks not to carry the speech came from within the media outlets.
— To make matters worse, Nadler also recklessly stated the president was attempting to become a dictator, explaining, “I do not believe the courts will permit it, and we would certainly oppose any attempt by the president to make himself a king, a tyrant, by saying he can appropriate money without Congress.”
1. President Donald Trump spoke to the nation on the national security crisis facing our nation at the southern border; Democrats responded by saying immigration doesn’t hurt Americans
— The president’s Oval Office speech touched on those killed by illegal aliens, the crime they bring, the drugs that flow over the border, the Democrats previous support for border walls, the violence people face in transit to the border and the sexual assaults one-third of women making the journey face.
— House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer responded by claiming the president is having a “temper tantrum,” said he is holding federal workers hostage, called the issue a “humanitarian crisis,” claimed they are for border security and demanded that he re-open the government.
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