Thanks good information
IIRC the replacement wall funding was taken from “repair” funds. There has been two amounts awarded to actually build wall in past two budgets.
One big push will get ER done. It’s 1/8 complete already (practice)
“There has been two amounts awarded to actually build wall in past two budgets.”
Just for barrier, $400 million FY17 money, $1.3 billion in FY18 money.
Other amounts were also funded for other border security efforts (for more people and technology) so you can hear other (larger) numbers sometimes mentioned that include other things.
What we have seen building so far came from the smallest pot of money, just about $266 million out of FY17. The FY18 money has been almost completely awarded in just the last few months, so there will be a lot more new starts in the next weeks and months. The contracting folks are ready to commit a lot more.
If the President gets $5.7 billion in FY19 money just for barrier, you can see that would be a huge ramp up that would be (more than twenty times what we have seen so far). The 234 miles that would target are the most important, most difficult, and most expensive miles of the whole border - it will make a real difference. That is why the Dems fight it so hard - it is real game changing capability.
This is the main battle in the struggle to secure the border.
If the President can get a few billion now, he can make a big difference, because everything is ready - truly shovel ready.