WASHINGTON 鈥� A debate is developing in Congress over how to handle the situation at the U.S.-Mexico border, and whether President Trump will get the billions of dollars he鈥檚 seeking for a border wall.
While lawmakers don鈥檛 agree on much, members of both parties are concerned a standoff over border wall funding could lead to a partial government shutdown when a spending deadline hits on Dec. 7.
Some Democratic lawmakers have criticized the response to violence near Tijuana, which included the use of tear gas against young parents and their children as people rushed the border over the weekend. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the tear gas was deployed because of a risk to agents鈥� safety.
Sen. Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the situation at the border is a 鈥渉umanitarian problem鈥� that should be addressed in a better way.
鈥淭here鈥檚 an orderly process that should be used in order to handle this,鈥� Cardin said Monday. 鈥淏ut instead, the Trump administration has a policy where they will not even allow those who have legitimate claims for asylum to seek it in a proper manner.鈥�
Cardin said in his view, 鈥渁 bad situation was made much worse because of Trump policy.鈥�
Several Republicans have defended the administration鈥檚 response to the situation and said it鈥檚 another example of why money is needed for the border wall.
Rep. Mark Meadows, a Republican from North Carolina who chairs the conservative House Freedom Caucus, tweeted on Monday that congress needs to fund the wall in December and that 鈥淚t鈥檚 now or never.鈥�
Reports showing caravan heading toward our southern border. People rushing entry points. It’s about time Congress show as much resolve to SECURE our border as the individuals seeking to tear it down.
We have to fund the wall in December. It’s now or never.
鈥� Mark Meadows (@RepMarkMeadows)
President Trump on Monday also renewed his call for lawmakers to approve money, with a tweet that ended with, 鈥淐ongress, fund the WALL!鈥�
The House is backing $5 billion for the wall, while a Senate plan calls for $1.6 billion. President Trump has said he needs at least $5 billion and that he鈥檇 be willing to shut down the government if lawmakers don鈥檛 provide more money.
Cardin said building a wall would be a 鈥渨aste of money鈥� and that border security could be improved in other ways, along with immigration reform.
鈥淭he United States should always be a beacon for those are truly being persecuted, to know that there鈥檚 safety in this country,鈥� Cardin said. 鈥淭here shouldn鈥檛 be the type of fear that鈥檚 being instilled by the current policies.鈥�
