Senate Democrats prepare for spring battle over Trump's border wall

By Kelsey Snell March 13 at 8:40 AM

Senate Democrats are preparing to fight back against GOP plans to fund President Trump’s wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, even if it means threatening a government shutdown at the end of April.

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and other top Senate Democrats warned GOP leaders Monday that they will block any attempt to use the budget process to begin construction of the wall — especially because the president has not specified how he plans to pay for it.

On Monday, Democrats wrote to Senate GOP leaders that they won’t accept any attempt to include funding for Trump’s proposed border wall in a spending bill necessary to keep the government open past April 28, according to a letter obtained by The Washington Post.

“Given these and other concerns, we believe it would be inappropriate to insist on the inclusion of such funding in a must-pass appropriations bill that is needed for the Republican majority in control of the Congress to avert a government shutdown so early in President Trump’s Administration,” the Democrats wrote.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/13/senate-democrats-prepare-for-spring-battle-over-trumps-border-wall/?utm_term=.01967675ba18&wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1