Only $20m in existing funds found to pay for Mexico wall, document says [View all]
Source: Reuters
Construction for Donald Trumps proposed border wall hit a financial roadblock over low existing funds and resources in the homeland security department
Reuters
Wednesday 1 March 2017 18.55 EST
Donald Trumps promise to use existing funds to begin immediate construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border has hit a financial roadblock, according to a document seen by Reuters.
The rapid start of construction, promised throughout Trumps campaign and in an executive order issued in January on border security, was to be financed, according to the White House, with existing funds and resources of the Department of Homeland Security.
But so far, the DHS has identified only $20m that can be redirected to the multibillion-dollar project, according to a document prepared by the agency and distributed to congressional budget staff last week.
The document said the funds would be enough to cover a handful of contracts for wall prototypes, but not enough to begin construction of an actual barrier. This means that for the wall to move forward, the White House will need to convince Congress to appropriate funds.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/01/mexico-border-wall-funds-trump-administration