In this file photo taken on November 19, 2018 a Customs and Border Protection officer asks travelers for their visas as seen through barriers set by US authorities at San Ysidro port of Entry, at the US-Mexico border, in preparation for the arrival of a Central American migrants鈥� caravan moving towards the United States, as seen from Tijuana, Mexico (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP)
WASHINGTON 鈥� 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.
鈥淚 suppose there will be,鈥� he told Fox 黑料社 Sunday.
But Kudlow said Trump 鈥渋s going to stay with his wall. He is going to stay with his border security. I think it鈥檚 essential.鈥�
Separately, Kudlow expressed optimism that US economic growth will surpass three percent 鈥渋n 2019 and beyond.鈥�
The White House Office of Management and Budget said the president鈥檚 budget request seeks $2.7 trillion in cuts 鈥� 鈥渉igher than any other administration in history.鈥�
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.
鈥楨xpensive and ineffective鈥�
With Democrats controlling the House of Representatives, Trump鈥檚 new wall-funding request appears to stand little chance.
In a joint statement, Pelosi and Schumer charged that Trump 鈥渉urt millions of Americans and caused widespread chaos when he recklessly shut down the government to try to get his expensive and ineffective wall.鈥�
鈥淐ongress refused to fund his wall and he was forced to admit defeat and reopen the government. The same thing will repeat itself if he tries this again. We hope he learned his lesson,鈥� they said.
The Washington Post reported that the president鈥檚 request for wall funding will come in the form of $5 billion from the Homeland Security Department and $3.6 billion from the Pentagon.
That would be on top of the $6.7 billion in wall funding that Trump has ordered redirected from other government programs under a national emergency he declared last month.
He declared the emergency after Congress approved only $1.375 billion for construction of 55 miles (90 kilometers) of barriers along the border in Texas.
The emergency declaration was roundly criticized by Democrats, joined by a handful of Republicans, who said it represented a possibly unconstitutional overreach of presidential authority.
Senate vote on emergency
Some Republicans expressed fear that Trump could be setting a precedent that a future Democratic president might cite to pursue a pet project opposed by Congress. 聽
The Democratic-controlled House voted last month by 245-to-182 to nullify Trump鈥檚 emergency declaration.
The Senate, narrowly controlled by Republicans, is to vote on the same resolution this week. At least four members of Trump鈥檚 party have said they plan 鈥� despite pressure from Republican leaders and the White House 鈥� to join Democrats in opposing the declaration.
That would provide a majority for overturning the declaration, and Trump would then be expected to veto the bill, his first use of presidential veto power.
鈥淗e鈥檚 going to veto this,鈥� John Barrasso, the third-ranking Senate Republican, told Fox 黑料社, 鈥渁nd then his veto will be sustained. They will not be able to override the veto.鈥�
Overriding a presidential veto requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.