Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said on Sunday that President Donald Trump will not get funding for his proposed border wall.
"President Trump should understand there are not the votes for the wall in the House or the Senate," Schumer told "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd. "He is not going to get the wall in any form."
Congress is approaching the deadline to pass a funding bill to avoid a partial government shutdown. One major issue of negotiation is Trump's proposed wall along the southern border, for which he has requested $5 billion. Democrats are resistant to Trump's wall and Schumer has urged Trump to agree to a one year resolution to keep border wall funding at the current $1.3 billion level or agree to $1.6 billion in funding.
"Is there any way you budge on your number for border security, on the $1.6 billion? We know you don't want to give him the $5 billion. Is there any middle ground that you would be willing to inch over to, that you think could get 60 votes in the Senate?" Todd asked.
Schumer responded that Trump doesn't have the votes and will not get his wall in any form.
"Even the House, which is a majority Republican, they don't have the votes for his $5 billion wall plan," Schumer said "... We Democrats, leader Pelosi and I, offered the president two options as to how to avoid the shutdown. We shouldn't let a temper tantrum, threats push us in the direction of doing something that everybody, even our Republican colleagues, know is wrong."
"If the president wants to debate the wall next year, he can. I don't think he'll get it. He shouldn't use innocent workers as hostage to throw a bone to his base," Schumer added. "He will not get a wall."
On Monday, Trump said any Democrat who says you can have good border security without a wall is "just another politician following the party line."
"Anytime you hear a Democrat saying that you can have good Border Security without a Wall, write them off as just another politician following the party line. Time for us to save billions of dollars a year and have, at the same time, far greater safety and control!" Trump wrote in a tweet.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1074697102142382085
The deadline for Congress to pass a funding bill is Friday.