Trump barrels toward clash with Congress over border wall
Source: Politico
The president wants money to build it, but Democrats warn that could trigger a government shutdown.
By BURGESS EVERETT, JOHN BRESNAHAN and JOSH DAWSEY 03/15/17 12:51 PM EDT
The White House is signaling to Capitol Hill leaders that he wants money to beef up the U.S. border with Mexico in a spending bill due by late April, according to several people familiar with the matter. The move would risk a government shutdown: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has warned that trying to jam money into a must-pass funding bill would be met with stern Democratic resistance.
The White House is trying to persuade GOP leaders to include $3 billion to $6 billion in a funding package for border security, Republican sources said. Some of that money would be used to construct the wall, but significant portions would go toward immigration and customs enforcement. Republicans believe the latter move would make it harder for Democrats to vote against. But there are some divisions among Republicans as well. Many GOP lawmakers from border states are skeptical about how Trump would go about beefing up border defenses.
"I prefer to see a plan first before we start appropriating money,” said John Cornyn of Texas, the No. 2 Senate Republican. "We won't just appropriate money and have the plan TBD. And I've got some questions.”
The White House is set to unveil a budget for the next fiscal year on Thursday along with an immediate spending request that will include billions for fighting the Islamic State. But the most controversial will be the money funding the border wall.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/trump-battle-congress-border-wall-236085
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