Donald Trump’s ‘sane’ budget: US$8.6 billion for a border wall, more money for defence
- Budget request for billions for wall on the US-Mexico border is likely to trigger another fight with Congress
- Previous request led to an impasse that resulted in a 35-day partial shutdown of the US government, the longest ever
US President Donald Trump is reviving his border wall fight, preparing a new budget that will seek US$8.6 billion for his signature project, impose steep spending cuts to other domestic programmes and set the stage for another fiscal battle.
Budget documents like the one Trump was due to release Monday are often seen as just a starting point of negotiation.
Fresh off the longest government shutdown in history, Trump’s 2020 proposal shows he is eager to confront Congress again to boost defence spending and cut US$2.7 trillion in non-defence spending over a decade.
Trump’s proposal “embodies fiscal responsibility,” said Russ Vought, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Vought said the administration has “prioritised reining in reckless Washington spending” and shows “we can return to fiscal sanity”.
Two administration officials confirmed that the border wall request was part of Trump’s spending blueprint for the 2020 budget year, which begins October 1. It would pay for hundreds of kilometres of new barriers along the border.