Senate Minority Leader Schumer Urges Trump To Scrap $5Bln Border Wall To Focus On Gun Law

(@FahadShabbir)

Senate Minority Leader Schumer Urges Trump to Scrap $5Bln Border Wall to Focus on Gun Law

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th August, 2019) US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Patrick Leahy in a letter called on President Donald Trump to divert spending for his border wall and focus attention on gun control.

"In addition to continuing to urge Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to put the House-passed bipartisan universal background checks legislation on the Senate floor for a vote immediately, we write to urge that you fully withdraw your budget request within the Department of Homeland Security for $5 billion for an ineffective border wall. "Specifically, we ask you to consider supporting counter-violent extremism programs, domestic terrorism investigations at the FBI, gun violence research at the Centers for Disease Control and support services in schools and communities, such as school counselors.

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Democratic lawmakers have pressed the Republicans to end the August recess to vote on gun legislation in the wake of two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio earlier this month.

Earlier this month, 22 people were killed and more than 20 wounded after a gunman opened fire in a Walmart shopping center in El Paso, less than 24 hours before a gunman killed nine people and wounded 27 others in a separate shooting in Dayton.