Border wall support wanes among GOP congressmen
Many worry that cost will take funds from other functions
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump lashed out at Congress on Thursday for failing to deliver his long-promised border wall, unleashing a tweet that accused Democrats of “obstructing” border security and demanded that “REPUBLICANS MUST FINALLY GET TOUGH!”
The trouble for Trump is that it’s his own GOP allies — not just his political opponents — who have been standing in the way.
Republican lawmakers have been cool to one of Trump’s most memorable campaign promises — deeming the wall to be impractical, unrealistic and too costly.
“People can climb over the wall or go under the wall or through the wall. We’ve seen that in different places,” said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate, explaining why a system of technology, infrastructure and personnel is preferable to a physical wall. “If it’s just unattended without sensors, without technology, without people, then it won’t work.”
Another powerful Republican, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby, Ala., said he told Trump that funding a 2,000-mile wall could jeopardize money for the military and other core programs.
“Some things are reachable and some things aren’t,” Shelby said he told Trump. “I’m committed to securing the borders, whatever it takes in this country; it’s something we haven’t done. But I’m also committed to funding the government.”
The idea of building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border remains hugely popular among Trump’s core supporters, with chants of “build that wall” still ringing out at his rallies and numerous candidates in this year’s midterms echoing Trump’s rhetoric.
But the issue is not as clear-cut for many other Republicans. Border state lawmakers face concerns from landowners and businesses that could face disruption by the construction of a massive barrier. Others represent states and districts with large Hispanic electorates that could be turned off by the idea, while others say the idea of a big wall may be a nice applause line, but risks funneling precious funds away from more essential government functions.
Behind all the rationalizing lies a hardening reality: Many congressional Republicans just aren’t that into Trump’s wall.
Now, Republican leaders are more focused on urging Trump to delay a fight for the wall than on fighting for it themselves. Congress is working to pass a shortterm spending bill that would avert a government shutdown Oct. 1 and punt a showdown over wall funding into December, after the November midterms.
Republican leaders have been lobbying Trump to stick with their strategy, which would deliver a big increase in Pentagon spending. The president has speculated publicly that shutting down the government to get more wall money could be good politics, but Republicans fear a shutdown just ahead of the midterms would be disastrous.
No one really knows what Trump will do, and some White House officials have begun preparing a contingency plan for the partial shutdown that would occur if Trump vetoes the spending bill.
Trump is now being told by aides that he will get more wall money after the election — even though many in the White House are concerned there won’t be the votes, according to a Trump adviser. Trump asks frequently what the strategy is for getting the wall money after the election.
“I want to know, where is the money for Border Security and the WALL in this ridiculous Spending Bill, and where will it come from after the Midterms? Dems are obstructing Law Enforcement and Border Security,” Trump tweeted on Thursday.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., a Trump critic who is retiring, said the wall hasn’t gotten done because “we have priorities here.”
“As much as he wants to say I campaigned on this, this was the central pillar of the campaign, always attached to it was Mexico will pay for it. And they’re not, of course,” Flake said. “So now for him to come to Congress and say ‘pony up,’ Congress says no. We never agreed to this.”
Administration officials acknowledge privately that there is no plan for how additional funding will be achieved after an election that could see Republicans lose seats in Congress or even their majority.