Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) indicated on Sunday that President Trump’s reported plan to ask for $8.6 billion in the fiscal 2020 budget to fund a wall along the southern border was a non-starter.
“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,” the Democratic leaders said in a statement.
“Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again,” they added. “We hope he learned his lesson.”
{mosads}Pelosi and Schumer instead suggested that Trump put money that could be used on the border wall toward education and workforce development programs.
The statement served as a preview for what is likely to be a contentious negotiation on the president’s budget proposal, which is due to be released on Monday.
Multiple reports indicated that Trump will request $8.6 billion for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The funding would reportedly pull $5 billion from the Department of Homeland Security budget and $3.6 billion from the military construction budget at the Pentagon, according to the news service. The budget proposal also would include $3.6 million in military construction funding to help fund projects affected by the wall.
The president triggered a government shutdown in December over his demand for $5.7 billion in wall funding.
Congress ultimately approved $1.375 billion for border barriers, and the president issued a national emergency to bypass Congress and spend roughly $8 billion to construct his long-desired border wall.
The emergency declaration proved controversial, with the House voting to terminate it and the Senate likely to do the same this week. The rebuke sets Trump up to issue his first veto of his presidency.
Congress must approve funding for fiscal 2020 by Oct. 1, or funding could lapse and the government could shut down.