Sen. Jeff Merkley said Democrats are inclined to give money to the Trump administration for border security — but that does not include funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall.
“We’re absolutely willing to fund border security,” the Oregon Democrat said Sunday morning on ABC’s ““This Week.”
“The American people want us to spend money in a smart way. Five billion dollars is a lot of money … to spend it on a 4th-century strategy rather than on stuff that actually improves border security is something that we’re just not going to do.”
When asked by ABC’S Jon Karl to clarify that Democrats are not going to agree to any funding to build border wall, the potential 2020 presidential candidate said: “That’s correct.”
“None,” answered Merkley.
Merkley noted that Trump was given a lot of money last year for border security and he’s not using it.
When pressed on whether Democrats would consider the funding as part of a larger immigration package, Merkley said that he supported a plan that could include fencing — but not a wall as massive as what Trump has promised.
“We have a plan, a bipartisan plan, that’s on the table. We have the 2013 plan that passed by a supermajority in the Senate that would address the vast bulk of these issues. So, we’re ready for a broader discussion. The president hasn’t been there,” he said.
Trump’s description of the border wall has evolved over the years.
In 2015, Trump said: “It’s going to be made of hardened concrete, and it’s going to be made out of rebar, and steel.”
But this week, he said it could be made of steel slats.
“The Democrats, are saying loud and clear that they do not want to build a Concrete Wall – but we are not building a Concrete Wall, we are building artistically designed steel slats, so that you can easily see through it,” he tweeted earlier this week.
Trump again mentioned the structure of the wall Friday, and praised Republican leadership in the House or “approving strong border security and the money necessary to take care of the barrier wall or steel slats.”
“Thirty-foot-concrete wall, 30-foot steel spikes, that’s not the smart way and that’s what all the experts on the border tell us,” Merkley said on Sunday, mentioning his recent travels to the southern border.
At midnight Saturday, the federal government partially shut down after the White House and Congress couldn’t reach a compromise on budget funding.
Trump has said he will not sign a bill that didn’t include $5 billion for the construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The House on Thursday passed a deal including roughly $5 billion in border wall spending, but Senate indicated it would not pass the proposal.
The Senate adjourned Saturday without a deal, meaning the government will be partially shuttered until at least Thursday when Congress reconvenes in regular session.
