Politics - News Analysis

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer Calling for Equal Airtime in Response to Trump’s Border Wall Address

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (love writing that) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer put out a statement tonight calling for the Democrats to get equal time after Donald Trump‘s border security address Tuesday night.

“Now that the television networks have decided to air the President’s address, which if his past statements are any indication will be full of malice and misinformation, Democrats must immediately be given equal airtime,” they said tonight.

All major networks have confirmed they will air Trump’s Oval Office address, after some initial uncertainty over how the organizations would handle the speech announced Monday. CBS said that the White House informed the network it will last no longer than eight minutes.

Trump is expected to use the speech to make his pitch on the border wall fight, which is at the center of a weeks-long government shutdown. He is also set to travel to the border on Thursday. The television address comes only weeks before Trump’s end-of-the-month State of the Union speech.

Trump and Congress remain stalemated over funding for the U.S.-Mexico border wall, with the president digging in for his demand for more than $5 billion. Talks over the weekend that included Vice President Pence and congressional leadership staffers made no progress to resolve the funding fight.

Democrats are expected to start passing individual appropriations bills this week as they try to increase pressure on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

McConnell is refusing to take up any government funding bill not supported by Trump. The Senate previously passed a seven-week stopgap bill that would have prevented the partial shutdown but were caught by surprise when Trump refused to support the measure.

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