Trump's border wall: President backs down on funding demands
President Donald Trump has indicated he's willing to delay his demands for funds to build the controversial Mexico border wall to prevent the federal government's shutdown. His adviser Kellyanne Conway said the funding demand won't be part of a crucial budget measure which must be passed by Friday. The wall, a signature campaign promise, has been opposed by Democrats and is unpopular among Republicans.
In the past few months, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has repeatedly said that Mexico won't pay for Trump's wall. He "lamented" US President Trump's plans, adding that "Mexico doesn't believe in walls." "Mexico offers its friendship to the American people," he added. Pena Nieto statement was in reaction to Trump's repeated assertions that he would make Mexico pay for his proposed border wall.
Trump had proposed that a spending bill passed by Congress which provides funding for federal agencies should include $1.5 billion for his wall. Congressional Democrats had threatened to block the bill if it included Trump's wall proposal. This would cause a shutdown of the US government on Trump's 100th day in office, the blame for which would fall on Republicans.
Constructing the wall was one of Trump's signature campaign promises. Funding plans for the wall have been subjected to blanket opposition by the Democrats. Some Republicans have balked at the wall's estimated cost of $21.6 billion, much higher than the president's price tag of $12 billion. Republican lawmakers from border districts, which house large Hispanic populations, have been critical of the wall.
Trump told a group of conservative reporters in the White House that he wasn't fixated on getting funding for the wall in the ongoing financial year (FY) 2017 budget negotiations. However, after the meeting, the White House said, "It's not off the table. We're not pushing anything to FY '18." Earlier, a Trump official said funding would be discussed in future spending bill negotiations.
Following reports that he won't include the wall funding proposal in the spending bill, Trump tweeted: "Don't let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help stop drugs, human trafficking etc."
