WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump is seeking $8.6 billion in fresh funding for a wall on the US-Mexico border, likely triggering another fight with Congress.
The 2020 budget request, which is set to be formally unveiled Monday, would far exceed the $5.7 billion Trump demanded last year.
That previous request led to an impasse that resulted in a 35-day partial shutdown of the US government, the longest ever.
Democratic congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer decried the move, warning Trump that another legislative defeat would await him.
White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow conceded that the new request would likely mean a renewed fight in Congress over wall funding.
“I suppose there will be,” he told “Fox News Sunday.”
But Kudlow said Trump “is going to stay with his wall. He is going to stay with his border security. I think it’s essential.”
Separately, Kudlow expressed optimism that US economic growth will surpass three percent “in 2019 and beyond.”
The White House Office of Management and Budget said the president’s budget request seeks $2.7 trillion in cuts — “higher than any other administration in history.”
A statement by Acting Director Russ Vought said the cuts would be achieved through a five percent reduction in non-defense spending below the 2019 level, while more funds are being requested for areas like border security, defense, combating opioids and veterans care.
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