As promised, the Trump administration is pulling funds away from military projects in order to continue the construction of President Trump’s pet project ahead of the 2020 election: his border wall.
According to Politico, $3.6 billion from 127 different military projects will be diverted to wall funding. The projects primarily included renovations or upgrades to military bases both in the U.S. and across the world, Politico reported. One of the entities losing funds is West Point Military Academy in New York.
The Pentagon funds will finance 11 border wall projects. Trump declared a national emergency in February after Congress declined to approve the funding he wanted for his border wall. The declaration diverts $8 billion from various federal agencies, including the military, toward his border wall expansion. The Pentagon funds will finance 175 miles of border wall total.
Trump is reportedly anxious to expand the wall before the 2020 election, arguing the project is crucial to his base’s support.
One hopes that congressional oversight would entail some kind of legal intervention. After all, if they let him get away with misappropriation of funds, then it’s game over for checks and balances and the non-monarchic executive branch.
Didn’t they already sue him in April?
You’re right. It would be nice if TPM could update us on the status of the legal action in the next revision of the article.
Hmmmmmm…think I might donate to MadDogPAC and ask them to put up “I thought Mexico was supposed to pay for it” billboards near the construction projects which are going to be axed due to this.
As a daily reminder of $$$ that did NOT flow into a local community.
Let’s face it, monarchies are a lot better than this system that we are now stress-testing in the US.