President Donald Trump’s insistence on building a wall along the southern border of the United States for security — a contentious issue that has resulted in a partial government shutdown — has the support of the Columbus businessman elected to serve Indiana ‘s 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“I’m supportive of his $5.7 billion border security funding,” said U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., who was elected to Congress for the first time in November.
The wall along the U.S.-Mexico border is the sticking point in the stalemate between Republicans and Democrats that led to the government shutdown, which reached its 20th day Thursday — one shy of the record 21-day shutdown from December 1995 to January 1996 when Bill Clinton was president.
Democrats see the idea of the long, impenetrable wall as ineffective and immoral. Trump sees it as a necessity to stop what he calls a crisis of illegal immigration, drug-smuggling and human trafficking at the border.
About 800,000 federal employees are affected by the shutdown, and as of Thursday were facing the prospect of missing a paycheck today.
House members, however, most of whom earn $174,000 a year, are paid during the shutdown.
“That doesn’t make sense to me,” Pence said Thursday, in a video in which he announced he would suspend his pay until the shutdown is over.
Some other members of Congress have opted not to receive their pay, too.
“My thinking is to share the pain. Now it is affecting me as well,” Pence said by phone.
The freshman congressman said about all of the calls from constituents to his office were supportive of building the wall and urged the president and Republicans to stay the course on the issue.
Pence said a primary reason for his support of building a wall along the southern border is to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.
“As I went around the district (during the campaign), I met with sheriffs and (Drug Enforcement Administration) DEA (members). The opioid crisis is being fueled by fentanyl and other drugs and products coming from the southern border. The humanitarian crisis in the 6th District is the deaths and damage to families and shortage of employees for employers. Something has to be done,” Pence said.
Discussions aimed at bringing resolution to the standoff over the wall have included Pence’s brother Vice President Mike Pence, a Columbus native and former Indiana governor and 6th District congressman. Most recently, President Trump met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. That meeting on Wednesday lasted only 14 minutes, with Pelosi telling the president the wall would not be funded even if he reopened the government.
The fact that Democrats control the House and Republicans the Senate adds to the complexity of a resolution.
Trump has considered declaring a national emergency to try and authorize funding the wall even if Congress won’t appropriate the necessary funding.
Pence said the correct leaders are at the negotiating table, but they need to be willing to sit down and work though the issue and not let politics get in the way. Specifically, he said Democrats need to compromise.
“The $5.7 billion is what Homeland Security and border folks say we need, and it’s the next phase of border security,” Greg Pence said, adding that he has confidence in the opinions of those dealing with border security firsthand.
“The Democrats need to get serious about the issue,” he added.
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Go to therepublic.com to view a video of U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, R-Ind., discussing why he will suspend his pay during the partial government shutdown.
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Contact information for U.S. Rep. Greg Pence, Indiana’s 6th District representative in the U.S. House of Representatives:
Offices
Washington
222 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone: 202-225-3021
Columbus
555 First St., Suite B, Columbus, IN 47201
Online
pence.house.gov
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