Border wall fight didn't really start until after GOP lost House

While President Donald Trump has repeatedly made clear his desire to build hundreds of miles of wall along the Mexican border since early in his campaign for President, the GOP Congress never really came close to approving billions of dollars for the wall, though there were certainly opportunities for Republicans at several points to win as much as $25 billion for the border while the GOP was in charge of Congress in 2017 and 2018 – but those efforts failed as most GOP lawmakers backed away from possible bipartisan immigration compromises.

As Republicans worked on two years of spending bills during the time that the GOP controlled the Congress under President Trump, lawmakers twice approved $1.6 billion for border security – but only for fencing and other defenses – not for the wall which was a central part of the President’s campaign.

Here’s a look at what the President asked for – and what the Congress did.

1. Trump 2017 and 2018 budgets. President Trump’s first budget, unveiled in May 2017, had money specifically designated ‘to construct a physical wall along the southern border,’ as part of a $2.6 billion border security plan, which included extra border patrol and immigration agents. In the President’s second budget plan issued in February of 2018, the Trump Administration again had what the White House labeled “critical investments” in border security to combat illegal immigration, budget plans which included “$1.6 billion for construction of the border wall.” President Trump wanted much more for the wall, but even his budget plans which were sent to Congress didn’t come close to the $5.7 billion he is requesting now, during this partial government shutdown fight.

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https://www.boston25news.com/news/politics/border-wall-fight-didnt-really-start-until-after-gop-lost-house/903210928