Veteran-backed Go Fund Me raises millions to build border wall

A group calling itself "The Wall Fundraising Team," has raised more than $4.5 million on Go Fund Me to build the border wall.

Posted 4:02 p.m. Dec 20, 2018 — Updated 4:40 p.m. Dec 20, 2018

WASHINGTON — The Latest on efforts to avoid a government shutdown (all times local):

11:34 a.m.:

A group calling itself "The Wall Fundraising Team," has raised more than $4.5 million on Go Fund Me to build the border wall.

A Colorado veteran is the creator of the campaign.

"Like a majority of those American citizens who voted to elect President Donald J. Trump, we voted for him to Make America Great Again. President Trump’s main campaign promise was to BUILD THE WALL. And as he’s followed through on just about every promise so far, this wall project needs to be completed still.

As a veteran who has given so much, 3 limbs, I feel deeply invested to this nation to ensure future generations have everything we have today," wrote Brian Kolfage.

10:55 a.m.

President Donald Trump is attacking Republican leaders in Congress, saying they haven't kept promises that he would get money for his long-promised border wall by year's end.

Trump says in a tweet that when he "begrudgingly" signed an earlier spending bill, he was "promised the Wall and Border Security by leadership. Would be done by end of year (NOW). It didn't happen!"

Congress is now trying to pass legislation that would avoid a partial government shutdown. While Trump has backed off a shutdown threat, he's coming under pressure from conservative allies to veto a short-term deal.

Trump spoke with House Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday. One Republican says Ryan left a morning meeting of House Republicans to take a phone call from Trump. This Republican who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the call and discussed it on condition of anonymity didn't know what was said.

—Associated Press writer Alan Fram.

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12:10 a.m.

The question of averting a partial shutdown of the federal government has moved from the Senate to the House.

Senators late Wednesday approved by voice vote a measure that keeps the government funded to Feb. 8. The House is expected to vote on the measure before the midnight Friday deadline.

The measure doesn't include the money President Donald Trump has demanded for his proposed border wall with Mexico.

Trump still must sign a funding bill into law to avert a shutdown of some government agencies. While the White House has indicated that Trump is open to reviewing whatever Congress passes, the president hasn't weighed in on the stopgap measure.

Many Trump supporters are frustrated that he appears to have retreated on his shutdown threats over wall funding.

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