Congressional Democrats refused President Trump’s newest request for border wall funds before the White House officially made it, USA Today reports. In response to reports Sunday that the president plans to ask Congress for $8.6 billion more for construction of a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), who refused to approve $5.7 billion in border wall funding despite a record 35-day partial government shutdown, made it clear that they would not approve the money.
“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. Congress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government,” said Pelosi and Schumer. “The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson,” they said, arguing the “money would better be spent” on other issues such as education. The request will be included in the president’s 2020 budget proposal, which he is expected to submit on Monday. White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow did not dispute the report during an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” When asked whether he thought there would be another partisan fight over the $8.6 billion, he said, “I suppose there will be.”