Trump May Have Difficulty Convincing Congress to Initially Fund His Wall

Thanks to previously-passed legislation, Donald Trump has already has the go-ahead to build a wall along the southern border. Now, all he needs is the money — but that may be easier said than done, according to members of congress.

Trump hoped to jump-start construction of a massive wall on the U.S.-Mexico border with money in a must-pass government funding bill. But Democratic leaders are vowing to block any legislation that includes a single penny for the wall.

With the GOP consumed by its own divisions, the White House and Hill Republicans will have to rely on Democratic votes to avoid a government shutdown next month in what would be another disaster for Trump’s fledgling presidency.

Republican leaders, wary of this, are considering a plan that would not directly tie the border wall money to the April 28 government funding deadline. Some Republican insiders worry that the president cannot afford another major legislative setback — and they believe a shutdown showdown would result in just that.

While no decision has been made by GOP leadership, Republican lawmakers may decide to decouple the two to avoid a confrontation with Democrats. If they do, the chances of getting Trump’s wall funding passed this spring become slim.

“It remains to be seen,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) in an interview. “What I would like to see is a plan for how the money would be spent and a good faith discussion about what border security is really composed of. We haven’t had that.”

Democrats have accused Republicans of obstructing the president ever since the party swept the 2010 midterm elections. But now that Democrats are no longer in the White House, they’ve decided that obstructionism isn’t all that bad — so they’re doubling down on the technique and are willing to say no to anything Trump proposes.

Source: Politico