Since the 35-day partial government shutdown ended last month, a congressional committee has been tasked with creating a new spending bill that would address border security and respond to President Donald Trump’s calls for a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico.
There are nine Democrats on the committee and eight Republicans – including Georgia Rep. Tom Graves, who represents Georgia’s 14th Congressional District that encompasses most of the northwest corner of the state.
While Trump stated on Tuesday that he discussed the plan congressional negotiators have come up with to avoid a second government shutdown, Graves tweeted that he hasn’t even seen it yet.
“I haven’t signed off on the reported ‘deal’ nor have I seen it. Based on the reports, I have concerns. Lots of questions too,” Graves tweeted.
NBC News learned from multiple sources that the deal includes less than half of the $5.7 billion that Trump asked for to build a 215-mile border wall. It does include nearly $1.4 billion for 55 miles of border-barrier enhancements, like steel slats, but not a concrete wall.
Graves is the only Georgia member of Congress on the 17-member committee negotiating a spending deal.
The recent government shutdown resulted in over 800,000 workers without paychecks. It remains unclear that, even if the bipartisan committee reaches an agreement to send to President Trump on Friday, whether or not he would even sign it.