Pentagon transferring $3.8 billion to border wall

The Pentagon is moving $3.8 billion from various weapons programs such as the F-35 fighter jet to pay for President Trump’s southern border wall, according to a notice sent to Congress on Thursday.

The notice sent to Congress said the money is going toward the “support of higher priority items” and is “required to provide support for counter-drug activities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).”

“DHS has identified areas along the southern border of the United States that are being used by individuals, groups, and transnational criminal organizations as drug smuggling corridors, and determined that the construction of additional physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the United States border is necessary in order to impede and deny drug smuggling activities,” the notice says.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the notice.

House Democrats immediately slammed the move as a raid on military resources for what they called a "vanity project."

But they put some of the blame on congressional Republicans, who refused to include provisions blocking Trump's transfer authority in 2020 spending legislation that passed in December.

“While some of our Republican colleagues will lament the President’s decision, they enabled this theft by blocking our efforts to stop the President from raiding defense accounts," House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) said in a joint statement with Appropriations Defense Subcommittee Chairman Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.).

"Until they stand up to President Trump, our national security will continue to be threatened and our Constitutional system of government will continue to be undermined,” they added.

Congress twice voted to overturn Trump's emergency declaration, which allowed him to reprogram defense funds for the wall, but were unable to override his vetoes.

The money being reprogrammed Thursday is being taken under a different executive authority that allows counter-drug funds to be used on the wall.

The notice says that $2.2 billion from the Pentagon’s base fiscal 2020 budget and $1.6 billion from a war fund known as the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) account will be transferred to the Pentagon’s counter-drug fund, which will then be used on the wall.

Among the big-ticket items taking a hit is the Air Force’s F-35 program, which will lose $156 million for procurement. The funding “is excess to current programmatic need,” the notice says, adding that “it was based on a higher number of aircraft than” was requested in the fiscal 2021 budget.

In all, aircraft funding will lose $1.4 billion, according to the notice.

Shipbuilding will also take a hit, with the landing helicopter assault replacement program losing $650 million and the expeditionary fast transport program losing $261 million. Money for both programs is “early to current programmatic need,” according to the notice.

Equipment for the National Guard and reserves makes up the bulk of the money being taken from the OCO account at $1.3 billion. Those funds are also “available because they are early to current programmatic need,” the notice says.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) expressed regret that money is being taken from the Pentagon for the wall even as he voiced support for Trump.

“I like the wall, I support the president, I wish they’d find the money somewhere else,” Shelby said. “I wish we could fund it through the regular process.”

Dipping into Pentagon funding for the wall, he added, has not “threatened national security yet, but if we keep taking and taking it could affect it down the road.”

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4...to-border-wall

The national security is fine. No nation can match the might of the United States armed forces. Nobody has as much, or as good, stuff and people.

The useless worthless f35 with it's fancy stealth is rapidly obsolete, with AI piloted aircraft better and more effective even when hamstrung by weaker weapons and equipment. Look up the research.

The United States spends so much on military funding that its simply outrageous how much is spent. Every single budget that passes includes extra funding for the military. The military in the united states is the most well equipped, with the best funding, best and most cutting edge equipment. Nations like China and Russia scurry to snatch and steal any scraps of technology left behind by the United States during secret operations.

The era of the human pilot is ending. With this funding Trump can end the nightmare of illegality for future undocumented. Trust me. It's better to live in Mexico City than in the shadows of a great nation.

Mexico City is the hidden gem of Latin America, the largest city in all the Americas and the best one in Latin America. No city in Latin America can match the might of Mexico city. The European invader finds their end at the steps of Mexico city. They burned our temples down, we rebuilt them, the earth took our city down in 85, and we rebuilt it. There are tons of hardworking smart people working every single day for a prosperous Mexico.

The Venezuelans used to laugh at the Mexican, with their Oil riches causing them to grow fat and wealthy. Now the tables have turned. Venezuelans run towards Mexico, as fast as their little feet can carry them, and end up in Mexican territory pleading the US to let them in, but ultimately settling in Mexico or getting deported from Mexico.

Mexico is not that bad and its future is assured. No nation has the desire to get into fight with the Mexican. Even the mighty united states settled for annexing the rural backwoods of Mexico, instead of the heart of Mexico.

AMLO, King of Mexico, is restoring to the Mexicans lands the pride it once had. Restoring our empire, rebuilding our people, eliminating corruption. Lets see Tromp hold a press conference every single day. AMLO is allowing the corruption to be strangled and destroyed. Roaches like Fox run and scurry to Europe to avoid the blade of Justice but none can outrun the long hammer of Justice.

Investors attempt to degrade Mexico's credit rating, but we in Mexico do not need of foreigners. Keep your filthy blood money to yourselves. Stay home. Mexico for Mexicans and retiring Americans.

Trump/GOP: simply TAKES what they want

Caveocrats: "it must be bipartizan agreement"

US does spend too much on defense, but the money should be used for things that are actually needed - not the stupid useless wall.

It's not stupid

You're stupid.

That boy trump doesn't ever get tired of winning

Taxpayers wallets are tired of winning so much

Why are you complaining...you support the Border Wall remember.

I support the wall 100% after I support a comprehensive immigration reform