Trump had originally demanded $5 billion to begin building the wall this year, but the White House acknowledged this week that he is willing to settle for far less. Even in the GOP-controlled House, Trump did not have the votes to get $5 billion in wall money, and House Speaker Paul Ryan declined to bring it to the floor. But Rep. Adam Smith, Democrat-Washington, the incoming chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told MSNBC that there has been strong opposition to using Defense Department dollars for border wall construction. “Congress, both Republicans and Democrats, do not think the DoD money should go towards building a wall on the border,” he said. Former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich said that while the base would be “unhappy” if border wall funding isn’t included in a final budget deal, it will make little difference come 2020.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer December 20, 2018 12:22 UTC