OK so this is an amazing story about Democrats, the border wall, Henry Cuellar, and a river walk. prospect.org/politics/democ…
Democrats gave up on the border wall in the year-end spending bill. Trump got another $1.375 billion, no restrictions on moving money around. So why give everything away? prospect.org/politics/democ…
Well, Henry Cuellar, a conservative Dem facing a primary, wanted a river walk in his district in Laredo. The law had to be changed to allow federal funding to go to different border designs (to add a retaining wall to the Rio Grande). That got into this spending bill.
In exchange for federal $$ for a one-mile river walk, the Trump admin will get to quickly build more wall in Cuellar's south Texas district. He voted against the bill but took credit for other language in it, and all evidence points to him brokering this river walk compromise.
Whole story here including this great quote:
"They’ve compared it to Paris. Talk about delusions of grandeur. Like the River Seine, this beautiful promenade. Pass me some of whatever they’re smoking."
prospect.org/politics/democ…
"They’ve compared it to Paris. Talk about delusions of grandeur. Like the River Seine, this beautiful promenade. Pass me some of whatever they’re smoking."
prospect.org/politics/democ…
Ladies and gentlemen, the river walk. 
The bottom line is this: Democrats aided Trump in reaching his border wall campaign promise, and put essentially no restrictions on border policy, so a threatened incumbent could get a river walk in his district. prospect.org/politics/democ…
