Chuck Schumer and his leadership team said they are "concerned with reports that there may be an effort to include funding for a very expensive border wall" in the springtime government funding package. | AP Photo Dems warn against border wall in shutdown fight

Chuck Schumer is warning Mitch McConnell not to include money for a border wall with Mexico in a must-pass government funding bill next month, the first step in what could turn into a pitched shutdown fight over the Southern wall promoted by President Donald Trump.

Led by Senate Minority Leader Schumer, top Senate Democrats are insisting that Majority Leader McConnell avoid demanding either funding for a border wall or another "poison pill" rider such as defunding Planned Parenthood as a condition of funding the government. McConnell will need Schumer to deliver at least eight votes to avert a shutdown by April 28, and Schumer is already suggesting that things could get ugly if Republicans play hardball and try to jam Democrats.


Schumer and his leadership team said they are "concerned with reports that there may be an effort to include funding for a very expensive border wall" in the springtime government funding package, according to a Monday letter sent to McConnell and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and obtained by POLITICO. Schumer is among a handful of Democrats still in the Senate that voted for a bill in 2006 to begin constructing a border wall; Republicans are weighing whether to test Schumer with a shutdown fight by insisting he approve border wall money to avoid a shutdown.

The Democratic leader said in the letter to McConnell that Trump "has no plan to build the border wall" and has not detailed where he thinks the wall should be built, how his plan will be constructive and how Mexico will pay for it despite Trump's insistence that Mexico will fund the border wall.

"We believe it would be inappropriate to insist on the inclusion of such funding in a must-pass appropriations bill that is needed for the Republican majority in control of the Congress to avert a government shutdown so early in President Trump’s Administration," wrote Schumer. The letter was also signed by Democrat Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Patty Murray of Washington state, Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Patrick Leahy of Vermont.

The Democrats also drew a line at including anything in the funding bill that would "roll back protections for our veterans, environment, consumers, and workers and prohibit funds for critical healthcare services for women through Planned Parenthood. We strongly oppose the inclusion of such riders in any of the must-pass appropriations bills that fund the government."

Republicans and Democrats agreed in late 2015 on a budget deal to increase some spending for two years to fund the government and avoid a shutdown and debt default. However Congress still needs to come up with a spending bill within those parameters by April 28, and the deal was sealed under former President Barack Obama rather than Trump, who will face his first case of budget brinkmanship next month.

Republicans are focused on repealing Obamacare and confirming a Supreme Court justice right now, but could try to test Democrats' resolve with spending riders in the government funding bill, reasoning that the Democratic Party won't want to risk getting blamed for a government shutdown. The last government shutdown was in fall of 2013, when Republicans tried to strip Obamacare of funding.