Pelosi, Schumer gained ‘leverage’ in Trump debt deal

Democrats heaped praise on President Trump Thursday for agreeing to their offer of a short-term debt limit, saying they see it as the start of the deal-making chief executive Mr. Trump had promised during the campaign.

Mr. Trump exchanged calls with both House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, who told him they hope his deal-making extends to finding a permanent replacement for DACA, the deportation amnesty the president announced he would phase out.

Mrs. Pelosi even credit for a tweet Mr. Trump issued Thursday morning assuring DACA recipients they don’t have to worry about being deported for at least the next six months, as the program is phased out.

The Democratic leaders seem to have gained new influence with the president this week, as the country faced a number of looming fiscal deadlines.

Mr. Trump accepted their proposal of an immediate cash infusion to address disaster relief, a three-month spending bill to get the government into fiscal year 2018, and a short-term debt increase. GOP leaders in Congress had wanted a long-term debt increase, hoping to avoid another divisive fight in December, but Mr. Trump undercut them.

Mr. Schumer described the deal as a “compromise,” though analysts said Democrats got exactly what they were asking for in the deal.

“I give the president credit for understanding that in the Oval Office when Leader Pelosi and I made the compromise suggestion,” Mr. Schumer said.

Mrs. Pelosi said Mr. Trump gave them “leverage” by agreeing to the shorter debt negotiation, meaning they get another chance to make demands in three months, when the debt ceiling gets reimposed.

She said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell ended up giving Democrats the chance to make their case when he raised the issue of tying the stopgap spending bill — a “continuing resolution” — to the disaster and debt package.

“The fact that they brought up the CR really strengthened our hand,” she said.