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Trump Maintains Unrelenting Stance On US-Mexico Border Wall Funding, ‘It Will Get Built’

By Ashley Hoffman
Published on: 07:20 PST, Apr 25, 2017

On Monday it was reported by various news outlets that U.S. President Donald Trump indicated an openness to delaying his effort to secure funds for the U.S. border wall with Mexico, according to Reuters. Lawmakers had until Friday to pass at least an interim budget to avoid a government shutdown.

On Tuesday, President Trump insisted his stance on building a wall has not changed and that he is committed to his plan to build a wall along the Mexican border. Trump tweeted, “Don’t let the fake media tell you that I have changed my position on the WALL. It will get built and help top drugs, human trafficking, etc.,”

One of President Trump’s central campaign promises was to build a more elaborate wall which would ride along the Mexican border.

Surveillance cameras stand above the US-Mexican border fence at Playas de Tijuana on January 27, 2017, in Tijuana, Mexico. [Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

On Monday, Trump reiterated that the wall is an important tool to stop drugs from coming into the country and poisoning the youth.

Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway sat with Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends” to discuss President Donald Trump’s insisting funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall must be part of this week’s spending bill in an effort to keep the government open. Conway said funding and building a U.S.-Mexico border wall “remains a very important priority” for the administration.

“Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him. But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year. And in the interim you see other smart technology and other resources and tools being used toward border security.”

It was reported that President Trump held a private meeting with conservative media outlets that he may wait until Republicans begin drafting the budget blueprint to seek government funds to building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, the White House confirmed as per Reuters.

This move was presumed to be an effort to help Congress to avoid a shutdown.

The budget blueprint is for the fiscal year that starts on October 1, 2017. A spending measure covering April 29 to September 30 must be in place before 12:01 am (01401 GMT) or government funds will halt, and hundreds of thousands of the U.S’s several million federal employees will be temporarily laid off.

Trump was adamant that the wall will be built — but warned if it is not, the drug epidemic in the country will never be fixed.

Counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway sat with Fox News Channel’s Fox & Friends” to discuss President Donald Trump’s flexibility in insisting funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall must be part of this week’s spending bill in an effort to keep the government open. Conway said funding and building a U.S.-Mexico border wall “remains a very important priority” for the administration.

“Building that wall and having it funded remains an important priority to him. But we also know that that can happen later this year and into next year. And in the interim you see other smart technology and other resources and tools being used toward border security.”

Funding For U.S.-Mexico Border Wall

Department of Homeland Security internal estimates has placed the total cost of a border barrier at about $21.6 billion dollars. Trump tweeted that Mexico will pay for the wall at a later date to begin construction as soon as possible. The appropriations process could begin as soon as April, according to House Republican officials who told CNN.

Back in January, Trump reiterated the same plan and defended the proposal to use congressional appropriations, according to CNN.

“The dishonest media does not report that any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!”

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement on Monday night that it is a good thing for the country that Trump is taking the wall budget off the table in these negotiations.

“Now the bipartisan and bicameral negotiators can continue working on the outstanding issues.”

Mexican officials have adamantly stated on multiple occasions that Mexico will not assist in building an elaborate wall across its borders. According to Dallas News, the statement was confirmed by the country’s foreign secretary Luis Videgaray when he told reporters at the Mexican Embassy during a visit that included meetings with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Jared Kushner.

“Mexico will not collaborate in any way in the construction of a possible wall.”

However, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto has said multiple times that Mexico will “of course” not pay for the wall.

A view of the US-Mexican border fence at Playas de Tijuana on January 27, 2017, in Tijuana, Mexico. U.S. President Donald. [Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

The White House budget director, Mick Mulvaney, revealed to Fox News Sunday the internal battles within the Trump administration.

“We don’t know yet… We are asking for our priorities.”

Mulvany suggested the Democrats were more lenient on international crime.

“The Democrats don’t want money from budget going to border wall despite the fact that it will stop drugs and very bad MS 13 gang members.”

However, if not enough progress is made by Thursday, a senior Republican congressional aide told the Associated Press said that Congress would have to try to push forward a stop-gap spending bill to keep the government operating while negotiations continue.

The last government shutdown occurred in 2013 and lasted for 16 days. Before the 2013 government shutdown, another occurred in 1995 and lasted for 21 days, until January 1996.

Senator Roy Blunt added as he concluded a meeting of GOP leadership.

“I’m optimistic. I don’t think anybody wants a shutdown.”

[Featured Image by Pablo Andrew Harnik/AP Images]

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