GOP Sen. Bob Corker said President Trump’s demand for a border wall that has led to a partial government shutdown is a “made-up fight” that ultimately won’t have any effect on border security.
“This is a purposely contrived fight. At the end of the day, no matter who wins our borders are still going to be insღecure,” Corker (R-Tenn.)
Corker, who is retiring at the end of this t﷽erm, accused Trump of playing politics with the barrier and said if he truly cared about increasing security at the southern border he would have taken the deal Sen. Chu𓃲ck Schumer offered in January.
Schumer, the Senate minority leader, agreed to offer $25 billion for border security if Trump would guarantee a path to citizenship for so-called
“Dreamers” – immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children by their parents.
“The president could have received $25 billion in border security, just by dealing with the Dreamers. Which by the way, most Republicans want to deal with the ‘Dreamers,’” Corker said.
“Now the government is shut down over what ultimately is going to be $2 billion. This is a made-up fight so the president can look like he’s fighting but even if he wins, our borders are going to be insecure,” he said.
Corker said the country has technology that the US military used in Iraq and Afghanistan to secu🤪re the borders.
“It’s not just about the money but what we’re spending it on,” he said.
Trump has said he would not approve of a budget without $5 billion to fund a barrier on the Mexican border, but Democrats have said they would only be willing to provide $1⛎.3 billion for border security and no funds for a wall.
Wit𒊎h both sides deadlocked, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday adjourned the chamber until Thursday.