Republicans lawmakers may back away from President Donald Trump's call for funding the start of construction on a wall between the U.S. and Mexico in hopes of avoiding a showdown with Democrats, according to Politico.
Democrats have pledged to stop any legislation that includes funding for the wall — despite Trump's plans to include money for it in a government funding bill, according to the website.
Republicans are hoping to avoid a government shutdown next month and are looking at a plan that would not directly tie the wall money to the April 28 government funding deadline, Politico reported.
Some Congressional Republicans are concerned Trump can't afford another major legislative setback, the website said.
Politico noted no decisions have been made yet, but some in the GOP are eyeing a plan to separate the wall from the funding package in hopes of staying clear of a shutdown over the issue.
But by separating the two funding packages, the chances of getting money for Trump's wall this spring become slim, the website said.
The Washington Post noted Republicans are hoping to avoid a shutdown, but it is uncertain whether they can avoid it. The newspaper said Trump is considering putting more emphasis on negotiating with Democrats.
"But that would be no easy feat, because Democrats have drawn a red line on any federal money going to Trump's U.S.-Mexico border wall," the newspaper reported.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., added "The border wall is probably not a smart investment." Graham proposes funding the wall as part a package legalizing some young undocumented immigrants and beefing up enforcement, Politico said.
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