VIDEO - Sen. Richard Shelby: Testimony From Border "Experts" This Week Could Get Us Off Politics And Onto To Substance | Video | RealClearPolitics

Sen. Richard Shelby, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee joined CNN's Jake Tapper Sunday morning to discuss the fight in Congress over border security appropriations and immigration reform. He appeared hopeful that testimony this week from border security "experts" could "move us off the dime."

"I think we have got to listen to the experts," Shelby said. "We have got to listen to the people who do it every day, that know what the challenge is, because we do -- Jake, we do have problems with our borders. We have not secured our borders. The president is absolutely right there."

"It's a question, how do we get off the politics and to the substance? If we can do that, we will get the job done," he added.

SEN. RICHARD SHELBY: I think that the president is dead set on keeping his campaign promise.

I support border security, a wall, a fence, a barrier, whatever it takes. I also support enhanced procedures, tech -- technology, and more manpower. We have got to have a comprehensive approach to this.

I believe that we have got a chance this week to move things. Will we? We don't know. The president could be right. We could be wasting our time.

On the other hand, we could come up to a solution. But, as long -- Jake, as long as the speaker and the president are way at odds, the chances of us reaching an agreement are slim. But it could happen.

As a matter of fact, later this week, coming up, we have asked the professionals, the people who do the work, that know something about the border, know what they need, do they need a wall? Do they need a fence? Do they need more technology? Do they need it all?

We're going to have them up before the appropriations conference committee, and we're going to find out what they want. I think it's not what I need or what the speaker needs or even the president needs. It's what we need to secure our borders.

And if we get this information from the experts, it could move us off the dime.

JAKE TAPPER: Well, what if they say that they are fine with steel slats, barriers, but that they don't need a concrete wall?

And then that's something that I -- it sounds like the conference committee could agree to, even Nancy Pelosi could agree to, the speaker of the House.

But President Trump, it really just -- it matters whether or not he finds it acceptable, if he demands a concrete wall or border. But you're saying you will defer to the Customs and Border Patrol people?

SHELBY: Well, I think it's what you call it. The president calls it a wall. Sometimes, we call it a fence, sometimes a barrier.

But the president, I think, has already spoken out and said he's not talking about a concrete wall, 1,500 miles and so forth. I think he's been talking about steel barriers and slat -- slats and stuff like that.

But I think we have got to listen to the experts. We have got to listen to the people who do it every day, that know what the challenge is, because we do -- Jake, we do have problems with our borders. We have not secured our borders. The president is absolutely right there.

It's a question, how do we get off the politics and to the substance? If we can do that, we will get the job done. That's what I'm working to do to go to yes.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/02/03/sen_richard_shelby_conference_committee_will_hear_from_border_experts_this_week_could_get_us_past_politics.html