Trump doesn’t show his hand concerning funding for border wall

WASHINGTON » President Donald Trump did not commit Thursday to avoiding a partial government shutdown next month if lawmakers don’t give him money to build a border wall, a top Republican senator said, raising the potential for a highstakes budget battle as the GOP prepares to lose its grip on Congress.

Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama and other GOP leaders met with Trump on Thursday about ways to fund the government. Shelby said Trump did not commit to signing a bill that does not give him all the money he wants to fund construction of a wall along the Mexico border. Shelby said Trump was noncommittal about how he planned to proceed.

“He didn’t say, ‘I’m going to keep the government open.’ We didn’t ask him that question,” Shelby told reporters after returning from the White House. “We talked about avoiding a shutdown. ... He seemed to agree with that.”

Trump’s staff has warned him he may not get the full $5 billion he has demanded for new wall construction for 2019, according to a person briefed on the discussions who was not authorized to reveal deliberations.

GOP leaders this fall convinced Trump to delay any decision about the border wall until after the November midterm elections, fearful that a big showdown could hurt Republicans with voters. But Republicans suffered heavy losses during the midterms in the House of Representatives and will lose control of that chamber in early January.

Although they retain full control of Congress for now, Republicans still need support from Democrats to pass any bill in the Senate. Democrats have expressed opposition to giving Trump the money he wants to build his longpromised wall.

During the 2016 campaign, Trump vowed to build a wall along the U.S.Mexico border and have the Mexican government pay for it. But since his election, he has changed course, saying instead the money must come from Congress and U. S. taxpayers.

House Republicans have agreed to the $5 billion Trump wants, but senators struck a bipartisan deal earlier this year to provide only $1.6 billion. It’s unclear how that difference will be bridged.

“My goal is to get the bills passed. And whatever we can do in a reasonable fashion, to get it done,” Shelby said. “I might personally like a bigger goal. But I use the word ‘doable.’ You’ve got to figure out what’s doable.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who also attended the meeting, told reporters: “We talked about border security and how to resolve all this, and we’re optimistic we have a way forward.” He declined to reveal what that might be.

The total cost of a wall along the 2,000-mile border is projected to exceed $20 billion, but Trump has signaled he wants at least $5 billion for work over the next year.