Trump sticks to demand for border wall funding as shutdown drags on

The Trump White House maintained its hard line on funding for a border wall in a letter Sunday to congressional leaders, demanding $5.7 billion for construction of a barrier as the partial government shutdown heads into its third week after weekend talks.

The wall is “central to any strategy,” Russell T. Vought, acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote, asking for funds for “234 miles of new physical barrier.”

But the two-page letter, which was obtained by The Washington Post, also provided new details on Trump’s position, which has largely consisted of ultimatums and tweets amid stalled negotiations with Democrats, by listing funding requests for his immigration agenda across the federal government.

Trump advisers said Sunday that the administration wrote the letter after Democratic congressional aides asked Vice President Pence, who led the weekend discussions at the White House, for specifics on budget estimates for the Trump administration’s priorities so that the negotiations could advance this week.

“During our meetings with congressional staff this weekend, we made it clear that we have a crisis on our southern border, and we outlined the president’s plan to secure our border, build a wall, and protect the American people,” Pence said in a brief interview. “It’s time for the Democrats to start negotiating.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-trump-heads-to-camp-david-as-shutdown-enters-third-week/2019/01/06/22af03c0-11c3-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html?utm_term=.880b8af63f9f&wpisrc=al_trending_now__alert-politics--alert-national&wpmk=1

The crisis is that Trump and Pence's lilly white asses are skeered of brown people.