MEXICO CITY (dpa-AFX) - Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have vowed that President Donald Trump's request for $8.6 billion in additional funding to build his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border will be defeated in both houses of Congress.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said in an interview that Trump will urge Congress on Monday to authorize another $8.6 billion to complete a 722-mile stretch of the wall as part of a 2020 budget request.
Trump's new proposal, which is bigger than the first tranche of funding he sought, is likely to trigger a fresh fight with Congress and may lead to another government shutdown, reports say.
Trump declared a national emergency on February 15 to bypass Congress, which refused to pass his proposal of $5.7 billion to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
The House of Representatives passed a resolution to overturn the emergency declaration with support from 13 Republican lawmakers. The Republican-controlled Senate may also vote in favor of the resolution, although it would assuredly be vetoed by Trump.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer warned Trump that another legislative defeat awaits him if he tries to repeat the move for funding.
'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. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again,' Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement.
They added, 'At a time when our country faces challenges about jobs for the future, this money would better be spent on rebuilding America, and on education and workforce development for jobs for the 21st Century.'
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