President Donald Trump's proposal to build a steel barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border instead of a concrete wall is a "minor but important difference in technology," Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Monday during an appearance on Fox News' "Fox & Friends."
"A fourth-century concrete wall that you can't see through will be a less effective border barrier," Coons said as the partial government shutdown stretched into a 17th day.
"I am someone who is willing to see more border fencing as long as we choose a technology that DHS says is going to be effective, and I do think his moving toward steel slats rather than a concrete wall, if it holds, is important."
Trump on Sunday officially asked Congress for $5.7 billion to build a steel barrier.
"A physical barrier — wall — creates an enduring capability that helps field personnel stop, slow down, and/or contain illegal entries," Russ Vought, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, wrote in letters sent Sunday to the House Appropriations Committee.
Trump told reporters Sunday he might declare a national emergency imminently to secure money for his border wall.
"I may declare a national emergency dependent on what's going to happen over the next few days," Trump said Sunday.