Dem’s border security plan omits wall fund

WASHINGTON, DC: Democrats in the House offered a border security plan on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) that would not provide a penny for President Donald Trump’s border wall, ignoring — for now — an early-morning warning from the president that they’d be “wasting their time” if they don’t come up with wall money.

The Democratic offer is just a starting point in House-Senate talks on border security funding that kicked off in a basement room in the Capitol. A top Democrat acknowledged that “everything is on the table,” including the border barriers demanded by Trump. Lawmakers on both sides flashed signs of flexibility, eager to demonstrate willingness to compromise in hopes of resolving the standoff with Trump that sparked the just-ended 35-day partial government shutdown.