Trump pushes back on Dems’ funding proposal

President Trump on Tuesday criticized Democrats over their proposal to reopen the government, lamenting that the party’s funding bill lacked money for his desired wall along the southern border.

In a pair of tweets, the president said the country has no “real border security” without a wall, adding later that Democrats do not care about “open borders.”

{mosads}”The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall,” Trump tweeted. “So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security – and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border!”

The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Security – and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019

In a later tweet, Trump said that Democrats “do not care” about “all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring!” Democrats have voiced support for border security measures but have opposed Trump’s proposal for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

One thing has now been proven. The Democrats do not care about Open Borders and all of the crime and drugs that Open Borders bring!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2019

Trump’s tweets indicate that he is unlikely to accept Democrats’ proposal to end a partial government shutdown that has lasted 11 days and counting.

House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman-designate Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) on Monday introduced a continuing resolution that would fund Homeland Security through Feb. 8, along with a legislative package to fund the remaining agencies through the end of the fiscal year.

Both measures are expected to be taken up on Thursday, when the next session of Congress is sworn in and Democrats take control of the House majority.

The continuing resolution includes $1.3 billion in funding for border security, well short of the $5 billion Trump has requested for his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The standoff over the border wall funding has led to a budget impasse that could spur a prolonged shutdown.

While the White House initially signaled ahead of the shutdown it would accept a funding bill with less than $5 billion for the wall, Trump has in recent days dug in on his signature campaign promise.

Trump, who said he would be “proud” to shut down the government over wall funding in an Oval Office meeting in December, tweeted on Monday that Democrats’ offer of money for technology and equipment upgrades along the border amounted to “meaningless bells & whistles.” 

“Throughout the ages some things NEVER get better and NEVER change,” Trump tweeted. “You have Walls and you have Wheels. It was ALWAYS that way and it will ALWAYS be that way! Please explain to the Democrats that there can NEVER be a replacement for a good old fashioned WALL!”

On Monday, Trump said he is “not giving up” on getting funding for a wall along the southern border, adding that he had “no choice” but to continue the government shutdown over the wall.

“We are not giving up. We have to have border security. And the wall is a big part of border security — the biggest part,” he said during an interview on Fox News’s “All-American New Year” with Pete Hegseth that aired on New Year’s Eve.