White House expects $5 billion allocated for border security and barriers, official says

U.S. Capitol is seen on the first day of a partial federal government shutdown in Washington, U.S., December 22, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s White House wants to see $5 billion for border security and the construction of physical barriers in any stop-gap government funding bill passed by Congress, a senior administration official said on Saturday.

“We continue to articulate what our expectations are for Congress, which is $5 billion for border security and physical barriers,” the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

The official said the White House hopes that the partial government shutdown that began on Saturday only lasts for a few days, but that it could last longer.

Reporting by Tim Ahmann and Humeyra Pamuk in Washington, writing by Yeganeh Torbati; Editing by James Dalgleish

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source: reuters.com