Rep. Chuck Fleischmann 'optimistic' his panel will reach agreement on federal security funding

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann sits on a panel during a tax policy event hosted by America First policies at Lee University's Pangle Hall on Saturday, July 21, 2018, in Cleveland, Tenn. Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker at the event, which featured a panel of guests discussing the effects of President Donald Trump's tax bill.
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann sits on a panel during a tax policy event hosted by America First policies at Lee University's Pangle Hall on Saturday, July 21, 2018, in Cleveland, Tenn. Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker at the event, which featured a panel of guests discussing the effects of President Donald Trump's tax bill.

NASHVILLE - Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, the only Tennessean on a 17-member House and Senate conference committee charged with hammering out a deal on President Donald Trump's border wall, says he remains upbeat the panel can succeed in avoiding another partial federal government shutdown.

"Am I optimistic? Yes," the Ooltewah congressman told the Times Free Press Thursday, a day after the panel of House and Senate Republicans and Democrats held its first meeting. "Did we have a great start? Absolutely. There are always things that can impede our progress, but I haven't seen them yet."

All conference committee members are appropriators who often are able to overcome partisan differences and strike deals. Earlier this month, Fleischmann was named the ranking Republican member on the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee, now controlled by Democrats.

"I support the president's position," Fleischmann recalled telling fellow lawmakers on the conference committee Wednesday. "But I said each and every one of us would write a different bill, but we're all going to have to compromise, all get some things we want and all give up some things we want."

But Fleischmann, who prides himself on his civility with all members, said he has "been very strong about getting barrier or wall funding in the bill. And I was very forthright about that."

The conference committee was created after Trump and Democrats reached agreement last week to end the 35-day partial government shutdown over border security. It stemmed from the president's demands for a "wall" on the U.S. southern border. The shutdown impacted a quarter of the federal government's operations, including the Department of Homeland Security.

An estimated 800,000 federal workers and contractors in departments and agencies including Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Interior and Commerce were affected. Many federal employees were furloughed, while some 380,000 workers including Transportation Security Administration agents and air traffic controllers worked without pay.

Between 6,700 and 7,300 federal employees in Tennessee were directly affected. They're all back at work now after Congress passed and Trump signed temporary funding bills that continue until Feb. 15.

But Trump is already casting doubt on the legislative process, among other things stating in a tweet Thursday that "Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee are wasting their time. Democrats, despite all of the evidence, proof and Caravans coming, are not going to give money to build the DESPERATELY needed WALL. I've got you covered. Wall is already being built, I don't expect much help!"

The president has warned he will issue an emergency declaration to get the $5.7 billion he wants.

Democrats say they won't provide money for a "wall" but they will provide funding for security.

"That is correct, but remember," Fleischmann said, "that is their starting position. We're starting at $5.7 billion [for a wall]. So you've got zero [from Democrats] and $5.7 billion. And a host of other issues."

He called the Democratic position on the number of beds maintained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement to house detainees "in my view untenable."

Democrats want fewer beds for the administration's controversial policy of housing detainees, a number of whom say they are refugees fleeing violence. "They're wanting fewer ICE beds at a time when you have more people coming over," Fleischmann said. "So that is a problem, as well. And, of course, they have problems with some of our positions."

The negotiations also include five other funding bills over which there aren't necessarily partisan differences but opposing stances taken by the House and Senate chambers, Fleischmann said.

"Not every difference is partisan," he said. "We've done our work. Everyone will stake out their respective positions and then negotiate from that."

But the battle over Trump's "wall" is the primary sticking point. The president has acknowledged most of that isn't necessarily a concrete wall but different types of fences and barriers.

"You're getting, sadly, into a semantics game," Fleischmann said when asked about the "wall." But he said "the American people are wise, the American people are watching and as I said, this will give us an opportunity, hopefully, to restore the American people's faith in our legislative institutions, both the House and the Senate, and the White House."

It ultimately is "going to take a three-way agreement to get there. And that's going to mean flexibility," Fleischmann said. "And it's going to mean negotiating, and when you have a roomful of appropriators you generally [have] very pragmatic people who understand the need to negotiate and get deals done.

"As I said, I approach my job optimistically," Fleischmann said.

Meanwhile, the Ooltewah lawmaker has been in demand on television network programs, appearing on Fox News on Wednesday and on CNN on Thursday.

Another area House Republican appropriator on the panel, Rep. Tom Graves of Georgia, appeared on the "Fox and Friends" morning program on Thursday, blasting Democrats.

"Yesterday, I was very optimistic going into the meeting," Graves said. "These are great people, I work with them on a daily basis."

But he criticized what he said was a lack of "transparency" from Democrats. He said Democrats have come up with a bill "that's under lock and key that they're not sharing with the public and we're 15 days away from expiration of this continuing resolution" that is temporarily funding the impacted agencies.

Fleischmann said he has "been in constant communications with the White House since this process started. It's very cooperative, it's very encouraging. It's a very good open line of communications."

He also said "I understand why [Trump] has some hesitancy, because he's just been through a very arduous process since December. It's our hope that we can come up with agreement out of this committee that he feels that he can sign.

"Otherwise," Fleischmann added, "he's going to look at these executive emergency powers and I hope that we don't end up in that position."

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi later told reporters in Washington that "there's not going to be any wall money in the legislation."

But, The Hill reported, Pelosi also signaled openness to "some infrastructure," including new fencing or other barriers.

Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.

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