WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two senior Senate Democrats on Wednesday asked President Donald Trump to withdraw his $5 billion request for border wall funding and use the money on initiatives to combat gun violence in the aftermath of back-to-back mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.In a letter, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Patrick Leahy informed Trump that he does not have enough support in Congress for his wall funding request to be included in the federal budget for fiscal year 2020, which begins on Oct. 1.
"Instead, we urge you to support spending funds you have requested for the border wall, on other pressing needs such as proven initiatives that will address the threats of gun violence and white supremacist extremism in America," wrote Schumer and Leahy, who is the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee that oversees government outlays.
The White House had no immediate comment.