The Department of Defense revealed a plan on Thursday to use $3.8 billion of its budget to continue building the wall along the U.S-Mexico border. The department will divert funds used to purchase aircrafts and update military equipment.
According The Washington Post, this move would set in motion a larger scheme to take a grand total of $7.2 billion from the Pentagon’s budget to fund the border wall.
From The Post:
The $7.2 billion would give Trump enough money to complete nearly 900 miles of new barriers by 2022, a plan that allows the president to campaign for reelection on his signature immigration initiative — and the budget to pay for it.
Democrats were quick to condemn the plan, saying that it makes no sense and could endanger our security abroad. Politico reports that even the top Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, spoke out against the proposal. He believes that it undermines civilian control of the military.
From Politico:
“The re-programming announced today is contrary to Congress’s constitutional authority, and I believe that it requires Congress to take action,” Thornberry said. “I will be working with my colleagues to determine the appropriate steps to take.”
