Trump: Tax dollars will ‘speed up’ the wall

President-elect Donald Trump says taxpayer money will accelerate the construction of his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“[It is] in order to speed up the process,” he told The New York Times Friday. “We’re going to get reimbursed. But I don’t want to wait that long. But you start, and then you get reimbursed.”

Trump said he would most likely recoup U.S. tax dollars by renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico’s government.

{mosads}“It’s going to be a part of everything,” he said. “We are going to be making a much better deal. It’s a deal that never should have been signed.”

Trump’s remarks follow reports Thursday that his team and GOP House lawmakers have discussed using taxpayer dollars to begin work on the border wall. CNN said Republican leaders hope to fund the structure through the appropriations process as early as April.

Trump’s team, meanwhile, is reportedly citing a 2006 law as authority for starting the project right away.

That law was signed by former President George W. Bush and authorized the construction of more than 700-mile “physical barrier” on the nation’s southern border. The law was never fully implemented, but is still in effect.

Republicans told CNN they believe Democrats will relent when faced with choice between funding the wall or a government shutdown.

CNN’s sources added that notable Democrats including then-Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Hillary Clinton (N.Y.) voted in favor of the 2006 border legislation.

Trump made building the border wall — and Mexico footing the bill — one of his campaign’s signature promises, a pledge he has since reiterated.

“The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later,” Trump tweeted Friday.