House GOP leader says border deal doesn't need word 'wall'

WASHINGTON — A border security compromise that Congress hopes to produce doesn't have to include the word "wall," the top House Republican said Tuesday, signaling a rhetorical retreat from a term that President Donald Trump made a keystone of his presidential campaign.

The remark by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., came a day before Republican and Democratic congressional bargainers begin meetings aimed at striking a deal on a border security package. It was the latest sign that both sides are suggesting flexibility and trying to look reasonable as talks begin.

"It could be barrier. It doesn't have to be a wall," McCarthy told reporters.

Trump's demand that lawmakers provide $5.7 billion to build segments of his prized wall along the border with Mexico prompted the just-ended 35-day partial federal shutdown. The government reopened Monday for three weeks, giving the administration and Congress more time to craft a border security compromise.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/house-gop-leader-says-border-deal-doesnt-need-word-wall/ar-BBSUnDS?li=BBnb7Kz

Or it could be a beaded curtain.