So much for Mexico paying for the wall.

The ball is rolling on Trump’s magical, mystical border wall. The house voted today to allow for money from the budget to go towards the kick off to building the wall.

Some $1.6 billion in wall money was attached to a security spending bill designed to fund the Pentagon and veterans’ needs, but Senate Democrats have signaled they’ll resist the project, which could leave Mr. Trump and fellow Republicans facing the choice of caving to Democrats and scratching the wall money or careening into a shutdown showdown.

Democrats chided Mr. Trump for even coming to Congress to ask for cash, saying he’d promised taxpayers he would make Mexico pay the costs.

“Nary a peso from Mexico,” said Rep. Louise Slaughter, New York Democrat.

The vote came down 230-196, with five Republicans siding with Democrats in dissent.

There was actually no vote beyond supplying funding for the wall. There was no agreement on the how or when. All that was decided was that we’d be paying for the wall (we, not Mexico).

“A good fence or wall will make a good neighbor,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert, Texas Republican.

The $1.6 billion would pay for 32 new miles of border fence in Texas, 28 miles of levee wall along the Rio Grande Valley, also in Texas, and 14 miles of replacement fence in San Diego.

So 74 miles.

President Trump is relying on the 352 miles of fencing the border already has, along with another 300 miles that have barriers that block vehicle traffic (but allow for foot traffic). He figures 700 to 900 miles of wall, and we’re good.

And we’re also paying for it. Not Mexico.