“For those who care about what the media says, these will be essentially all “new” miles, where there was no barrier built before.”
Great news.
I hope Trump can find new money in the budget just approved to keep adding miles and miles of tall, beautiful, bollard fencing.
“I hope Trump can find new money in the budget just approved to keep adding miles and miles”
They agreed on an overarching framework (totals) for the next two years’ budgets, but each year requires about a dozen individual spending bills to pass (DoD, HHS, DHS, etc.). That is where the fights will be. The Dems will reneg on their promises. They should start arguing in September, and kick the DHS bill till last, and likely more drama will ensue.
The President will have to be creative to get a good amount of funding next year. There is about $1.5 billion per year for the wall built into the current 10 year baseline budget. The Administration will request it to be raised (to $8.7B), the Dems will seek to zero it out, and kill or sabotage the emergency funding.
As long as the President gets to spend the money he identified in this year’s emergency declaration though, we will get a significantly effective load of border wall system (over 400 miles of the good stuff, where it is most needed), and it will keep the construction crews working into 2021.
If he comes up with another $6B or $8B like he did this year, he could get close to finishing the 1,100 miles identified in the plan (although construction would take into 2022).