Posted on 03/24/2018 3:26:05 PM PDT by zencycler
President Donald Trump briefly threatened to veto a giant spending bill on Friday and then reluctantly signed it to keep the military funded.
The lack of funding for a border wall with Mexico is likely one of the president’s biggest frustrations. Trump mentioned the wall when he threatened to veto the bill. The $1.3 trillion budget includes just $1.6 billion for wall construction along the southern border, far short of the $25 billion needed to accomplish Trump’s signature campaign promise.
To make matters worse, the spending bill specifically prohibits Trump from building the kind of wall he wants. The president nevertheless celebrated the progress and pointed out that construction can begin immediately.
But Trump also dropped an eyebrow-raising hint that he could take an unprecedented option and build the wall using the enormous military budget.
“I want to address the situation on border security, which I call national defense,” Trump said. “I call it stopping drugs from pouring across our border. And I call it illegal immigration. It’s all of those things. But national defense is a very important two words. Because by having a strong border system, including a wall, we are in a position, militarily, that is very advantageous.”
For the first time, Trump underlined the significance of the barrier as a military structure and a matter of national defense. Up to now, the president promoted the wall as a way to curtail illegal immigration and stop the deadly flood of illicit drugs. The introduction of the wall’s military function is significant, especially in terms of funding it.
Roughly half of the spending bill is dedicated to the military for a total of over $654 billion allotted to the Pentagon’s base budget and overseas counterinsurgency operations. That’s enough to build the wall 26 times.
(Excerpt) Read more at theepochtimes.com ...
USAF Red Horse Squadrons and Army and Marine Corps Combat Engineering units ready for the challenge.
I am happy now.
You too Bro
I believe it specifically says that the money allocated for fence repair cannot be used for wall construction. It was a small amount. I don’t think it applied to the military funds.
“Trump can certainly build a border wall under military pretenses. ”
Except it’s not even a pretense. Border walls have always been for security, nothing else. Look at the Israeli wall. The wall of China. The Berlin wall. All used for military purposes.
“Wishful thinking since the legislation says no wall. It wouldn’t take long for some court to say No, “
////////////////
The legislation states that the 1.4 billion allotted for border security is for fencing and repair, not new construction. However, nothing in the 700 billion allotted for military and defense spending cannot be used used for national defense. Additionally, this is not a constitutionally mandated “budget” it is merely a spending “resolution” The Commander in Chief has discretion with respect to national defense and will use that power to direct the military to secure the border. It would be difficult also for a federal court to issue an injunction because the only group with standing would be the Congress of the United States. The congress, in Republican control would be unlikely to bring suit especially since this resolution does not have the weight of law but is merely a spending resolution. IMO.
He is quoting fakestream presstitute talking points now, so chances are he was quoting them then, too.
“DACA people vetted over the proposed 12 years can help fill that need. Republicans can do Trump’s DACA bill, provide them good jobs, and earn their votes. Democrats lose.”
That’s a very bad strategy. The background of these people is to hate America, love the country they came from, think socialism is wonderful. I have known many many of them in the public school system in California. If we really need people to fill jobs, we’re better off importing them from better countries. There’s a long line of people wanting to come to the United States, honest people who have been Waiting in line for a long time. People who actually want to be Americans and would be productive.
Pull the military out of Korea, nuke NK and use the military coming back along the border.
It specifically prohibits him from building the types or prototypes he viewed last week.
Trump will go back to the prototype bids and say, I want to see your new prototypes, make them twice as tall!
And then build that M-effer!
I figured out, I think, what Trump is up to. He is shaking things out, but I’m counting on Trump to pull things back together as he moves along.
I’ve no doubt Trump never expected the level of undermining from his own party. He’s had to repair the Trump Train while it is moving basically.
I have not lost faith. He is a historic figure who towers over the bought and paid for beltway career politicians. And of course we have no other option.
“Not many KOs would sign off on something that “split the baby” between different type appropriations.”
It should be easy to divide the work, so that each segment is funded by a single Fund cite, from a single “color of money”. Typically, barrier is contracted in relatively small segments of just a few miles each - even less in some cases.
DoD orders these miles, DHS orders those miles.
Maybe they could even pass through funds to the National Guard in Texas or Arizona to order some miles, if the Governor wanted to play a role.
Maybe DoJ could grant the Texas Rangers some anti-opioid money, to order some miles where they have a priority. Interior could do some for flood control, or to enhance security/infrastructure for Indian Reservations. Transportation might do a few key areas around ports or facilities along the Rio Grande, and the Coasts - maybe along highways or canals, or as part of new roads or waterways.
I believe that any Federal customer with a requirement and executable funds could come to the Corps of Engineers for construction services. Let them all harmonize their design requirements with a single Federal standards setting authority for interoperability purposes, designated by the President. Then get every Department or Agency build as much as they can justify.
Then come back for more money next year.
WHAT? I presume you posted this to the wrong person as I have never posted slander, clueless or otherwise. One I’ve been here on FR since the 2008 and I lived in the DC area for 19 years, having just moved to Reno in the summer of 2014.
Now that would be funny! All those cheap-labor open-borders swine in Congress shot themselves in the foot because they're too cowardly to actually pass a budget?
I bet the Seabees could build a GREAT border wall and we wouldn’t be ripped off by some corrupt contractor, who would be behind schedule AND over budget as ALL government contracts are!!!!
Look how fast the commies dropped DACA when it no longer served their purposes. Rat leadership has certainly figured out that being the party of supporting illegals isn't a viable long-term alternative. Rather, the DNC has got to reclaim the blue-collar vote, which means, fvck illegals. So, the wall gets built with a wink-n-nod as a defense appropriation, and everyone goes home happy.
We should never lose sight of the fact that the two major political parties are professional organizations. They might ostensibly be considered non-profits, but the $trillion dollar windfalls come from controlling taxpayer/debt financing. Hell, that's not even necessary either, as the minority party also comes in for untold riches showered on their particular project(s).
In the end, does it really matter what the political motivation aka show & tell is if projects that truly benefit Americans are moved forward? The single most important thing about Trump is he actually advancing the platform he ran on; an amazing true patriot.
We should always have leaders who no longer care about making money, and/or view the public purse as their avenue toward personal wealth.
You can’t pretend to speak for all in DACA. Some were covered in the last issue of Aviation Week and Space Technology. Look it up. Those are the ones who will survive the proposed 12 year vetting process and contribute in a very positive way to the US. Trump’s not talking about US haters, if you think he is you have severe #TrumpDerangementSyndrome.
” It would be difficult also for a federal court to issue an injunction because the only group with standing would be the Congress of the United States. “
Standing would be readily granted to anyone by a 9th Circuit court. Attempting to build the wall with military funds would get the military budget tied up by the 9th Circuit judges for years.
Oh good, insult me because I’ve lived in Mexifornia and met hundreds of them. They are not raised to be Americans north to appreciate America. You are buying into the liberal BS by talking about all the valedictorians etc.
I see you get your information from magazines. Whereas I got mine from real life. from meeting them and talking to them as they are wearing their Che Guevara T-shirts. Gee I wonder which is more accurate?
That would not apply to ANY of the FReepers I've met and/or been with on the street.
Sounded rather disparaging in my book.
Those you chose to mischaracterize as ignoring are more likely, in fact, not bailing on the first POTUS in decades with balls enough to wade into the swamp.
He has information to which we're not privy, many of us will continue to stand behind him with the conviction that the man is working as diligently as humanly possible in the best interest of our Nation.
As for me, I think the week ahead is going to surprise more than a few ;-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.