House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn signaled his support Wednesday for a potential wall deal, as lawmakers continue to negotiate over funding disputes.
The South Carolina Democrat told CNN’s “New Day” that he would be fine with appropriating funding for a wall, “as long as it’s smartly done.”
Mr. Clyburn advocated for a “smart wall,” which he defined as a physical barrier that implements technology such as drones, X-ray equipment and scanners to reinforce it.
The third-ranking Democrat acknowledged that there are sections of the border wall that need to be repaired and reinforced.
“If the experts say that under the circumstances that this particular port of entry, this needs to be reinforced with certain barriers, I don’t see us turning our backs on that,” Mr. Clyburn said.
Congressional negotiators — nine Democrats and eight Republicans from both chambers — have until Feb. 15 to reach a deal in order to avert a second partial government shutdown.
Mr. Clyburn said the lawmakers he’s spoken to “seem very pleased” with the progress they’ve made in reaching a compromise. He explained they were confident in their ability to reach a deal, but he stressed leadership needs to stay out of the negotiations.
“Not just us in the Congress, but the president stays out of it as well,” he said. “I don’t know what the speaker is doing, but I hope she’s staying out of it. I’m sure she is.”
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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