Congressional Democrats refused President Donald Trump’s newest request for border wall funding even before the White House officially made it. In response to…
Congressional Democrats refused President Donald Trump’s newest request for border wall funding even before the White House officially made it.
In response to media reports Sunday that the president plans to ask Congress for an additional $8.6 billion in funding for construction of a wall on the U. S.-Mexican border, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. – who recently refused to approve $5.7 billion in border wall funding despite a record 35-day government shutdown – made it clear that they would not approve the money.
“President Trump hurt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall, which he promised would be paid for by Mexico. Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a statement on Sunday in response to the story first reported by Reuters.
“The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson,” they said, arguing the “money would better be spent” on other issues such as education.
“Let’s get this straight: billions of dollars for a border wall is a waste of money,” tweeted Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., who is hoping to unseat Trump in 2020. “American taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for the President’s vanity project. We simply don’t need it.”
The request will be included in the president’s 2020 budget proposal, which he is expected to submit on Monday, Reuters reported.
