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Friday, March 29, 2024

Trump to take billions more from military for wall

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Trump to take billions more from military for wall
Trump to take billions more from military for wall

The U.S. Defense Department sent Congress a request to shift nearly $4 billion from the military budget to pay for a wall on the border with Mexico, a central promise of President Donald Trump's campaign for the White House four years ago and bid this year for a second term.

Yahaira Jacquez reports.

The Defense Department plans to divert $3.8 billion from its military budget to pay for construction of a wall along the border with Mexico.

The Pentagon notified Congress on Thursday.

Congressional aides said the money was originally meant for the National Guard and for procuring big-ticket military hardware, such as F-35 fighter jets, C-130 transport aircraft, Osprey tilt-rotor planes, and shipbuilding.

Democratic lawmakers said the decision was dangerous and misguided.

The move also angered the top Republican on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee... Representative Mac Thornberry of Texas said the Pentagon's plan was "contrary to Congress's constitutional authority." The Trump administration has pledged to build at least 400 miles of wall along the Mexico border by November 2020, when Americans will vote for the next president.

As a candidate, Trump repeatedly promised that Mexico, not the U.S., would pay for the wall.

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