Dem slams Trump for 'using American taxpayers as an ATM’ to build his border wall

Montana Democratic Senator and ranking member on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Homeland Security Jon Tester on Tuesday slammed President Trump's refusal to compromise on border spending, saying the president was treating Americans like an ATM.

"I serve on the Homeland Security subcommittee in Appropriations and I think the president would be wise by taking the deal he asked for," Tester said. "He asked for $1.6 billion early on, and we came to an agreement with Senator Capito on that and then the rules were changed."

Tester complained that Trump hasn't even spent the money Congress gave him last year, and hasn't provided a spending plan that was due nearly three months ago.

"When we came forward with $1.6 billion, which by the way is a lot of money, it's pooh-poohed off and says we want $5 billion," he continued, adding that there was bipartisan agreement on border security. "The question become how do you do it? Do you do it with a concrete wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for and now is on the shoulders of the American taxpayer?"

Tester said Congress wanted "common sense", "cost-effective" ways to secure the border.

"I'm not sure a wall is the best way to do that. In fact, I know it's not," he said. "In the end it starts to feel to me like the president is using the American taxpayers as an ATM machine, just start throwing money at stuff without any plan and hopefully it all works out."

Watch the video below.