Freedom to Donate

            The liberty principle for this Freedom Friday is the simple fact that Americans are free to donate their own money for any cause that they choose to support. In other words, Americans can put their money where their mouth is any time they choose to do so. More than 100,000 Americans have proven this idea to be true.

            Americans have been calling for the government to secure the border between Mexico and the United States for many years. Republicans said that they would do it if we gave them the U.S. House of Representatives, so we gave them the House. Then they said that they needed the U.S. Senate, and we gave them the Senate. Then they said that they needed the White House, and we gave them the White House. Then they stalled for two years and lost the House.

            President Donald Trump and the Democrats are in a public fight about funding the border wall. Senator Chuck Schumer and presumed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refuse to give any money to build a barrier. They claimed that there were not enough votes in the House to fund the wall. The Senate passed a bill without any money for the wall yesterday, but Trump said that he would not sign any bill that does not include money for the wall. Today Republicans in the House approved a budget package that included $5.7 billion to fund a border wall. 

            The House bill will now go to the Senate where Republicans hold a slim majority and could pass the bill if they stuck together. However, there are flakes in the Senate such as Jeff Flake (R-Arizona), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). It would only take one of them to abstain or to vote no for Republicans to lose the majority. Maybe the vote could be saved by Vice President Mike Pence and maybe not. Nevertheless, Trump says that he will shut down the government if he does not get $5 billion for a border wall.

            Some Americans have grown tired of waiting for Congress to pay for the wall. One of them is Brian Kolfage, a disabled Air Force veteran who started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the wall, “We The People Will Fund The Wall.” Kolfage lost both legs and his right arm in Iraq, but he does not allow his disabilities to stop him. Kolfage wrote the following on the GoFundMe page.

Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J. Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again. President Trump’s main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as he’s followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still.

As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today. Too many Americans have been murdered by illegal aliens and too many illegals are taking advantage of the United States taxpayers with no means of ever contributing to our society.

I have grandparents who immigrated to America legally, they did it the correct way and it’s time we uphold our laws, and get this wall BUILT! It’s up to Americans to help out and pitch in to get this project rolling.

            Kolfage set up the funding page, and people are responding. Kolfage said that the fund could reach $5 billion if the “63 million people who voted for Trump each pledged $80.” The fund started on Sunday, December 16, 2018, and reached $10,146,766 of the $1billion goal by Thursday evening, December 20, 2018. The fundraiser started slow, but it is picking up speed. At $1 million a day, it would take 1000 days to reach $1 billion. At several million dollars a day, the goal could be reached more quickly.

            Congress still has to approve using the money for government purposes. Maybe the GoFundMe account had some impact on the House today. I wonder if it will affect the Senators tomorrow. Nevertheless, Americans are putting their money where their mouths are and hoping to help the President secure the border.