Poll: Less than quarter of GOP lawmakers voice support for border wall

Sept. 20 (UPI) -- Less than a quarter of Republicans in Congress actually voice support funding for President Donald Trump's wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, a new survey by USA Today said Wednesday.

The USA Today poll asked all members of Congress if they approved an initial $1.6 billion in funding to begin construction of a wall

According to the survey, only 69 of 292 GOP legislators responded that they approve of the plan. Three -- Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.; Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M.; and Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas -- said they oppose it. The rest didn't directly answer the question, or simply didn't respond.

USA Today said the survey was conducted by contacting all House and Senate offices.

Funding to begin construction of a wall was included in a national security spending package that included $658 billion for the Defense Department and $78 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs. It passed the House in July.

Only five Democrats supported the spending bill, and five Republicans voted against it. It has not yet been introduced in the Senate -- and the issue of the wall, and other spending priorities of the administration, will not be considered until December.

After meeting with Trump earlier this month to discuss the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said funding for a border wall would not be included in legislation reinforcing the DACA program -- something that Trump had pushed for.

The president later said no deal was made, although he acknowledged that wall construction could be delayed. Trump has long promised to build the barrier as part of his immigration agenda.

"If the Democrats aren't going to approve it [funding for the wall], then we're not going to do what they want. The wall will happen," he'd said.

Of the 240 Democrats in Congress, 133 answered the poll -- and every one was a solid "no," USA Today reported.