Congressional negotiators still face unresolved border security issues

“I think there’s a real effort by both Republicans and Democrats, both in the House and Senate to come together – more so than I’ve seen in a long time,” said Senator Patrick Leahy, one of 17 negotiators, and a senior Senate Appropriations Committee Democrat. Republican Senator Richard Shelby, who chairs the appropriations panel and is also one of the negotiators, told reporters that border patrol experts would brief lawmakers soon. The toughest unresolved disputes include the type of new physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, if any, as President Donald Trump demands $5.7 billion for a wall that most Democrats and many Republicans say would be wasteful and ineffective.