House Democrats to oppose key spending bill if it funds border wall
By HEATHER CAYGLE 02/28/17 12:52 PM EST
House Democrats will vote against any short-term spending bill that funds a wall between the U.S. and Mexico, caucus leaders said Tuesday.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (N.Y.) said Democrats won’t back any bill that pays for President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal, saying the onus is on Republicans to prevent a government shutdown if they try to pay for the wall while simultaneously funding the government.
“Democratic members would not support a wall across the southern border,” Crowley said after Democrats’ weekly caucus meeting. “If they want to involve members of the Democratic Caucus in that process, we’re more than happy to work with them. But it cannot include the wall.”
“We want to see a clean CR,” House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) reiterated later Tuesday, referring to a continuing resolution.
OMB Director Mick Mulvaney said Monday that the administration will include funding for the border wall in the president's budget proposal, as well as “some money” in a supplemental defense funding request, which is expected to be sent to Congress this week.
GOP leaders might attach the supplemental with wall funding to must-pass legislation, like the spending stopgap. If all House Democrats then opposed the bill, GOP leaders could only afford to lose around 20 Republicans and avoid a government shutdown. Speaker Paul Ryan has frequently needed Democratic votes to pass spending bills.
Current government funding runs out April 28.
“They are in control of the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Crowley said. “It’s their responsibility to pass [the] CR.”
House Minority Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has previously said Democrats are unlikely to back a CR with border wall funding, even casting doubt on Republican support given the multi-billion-dollar price tag attached to the proposal.
http://www.politico.com/story/2017/0...mocrats-235499