Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Politics

Defense Secretary Stands by Shifting of Funds for US-Mexico Border Wall

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday defended his decision to divert billions of dollars in fundin..

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday defended his decision to divert billions of dollars in funding for Navy and Air Force aircraft and other military programs to help pay for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Esper was asked by a reporter in Germany about criticism from members of Congress, including Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) who called the diversion of funds contrary to the constitutional authority of Congress.

“Border security is national security,” Esper said, “and national security is our mission.”

He added, “The action we took is legal under the law, and so it should be no surprise, and Ill just leave it at that for now.”

Esper spoke on the sidelines of an international security conference in Munich.

border wall / border fence
border wall / border fence
The border fence between the U.S. and Mexico just east of Sasabe, Arizona, on Dec. 7, 2018. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

The Pentagon said Thursday that it authorized $3.8 billion to be diverted toward building some 177 miles of barrier across the U.S.-Mexico border, in an effort to address drug-smuggling activities.

“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,” acting Department of Defense comptroller Elaine McCusker said in a request sent to Congress.

The request seeks a $2.2 billion diversion from defense appropriations and $1.63 billion from the Pentagons Overseas Contingency Operations fund, which supports operations against the ISIS terrorist group.

Diverting money from the defense appropriations would affect funding for two F-35 fighters, eight Reaper drones, four Air Force C-130 transport aircraft, two Marine V-22 Osprey helicopters, amphibious ships, National Guard equipment, and Army trucks.

Epoch Times Photo
Epoch Times Photo
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters at the White House in Washington on Feb. 11, 2019. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The construction of a border wall along the southwest border has been a key promise of President Donald Trump and one he is adamant in fulfilling. The administration has diverted funds from the Pentagon before for wall infrastruRead More – Source
[contf]
[contfnew]

The Epoch Times

[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]

Finance

In an interview with ET Now, Dabur India Director Mohit Burm..

Science

The 147th Open championship will be at Carnoustie Golf Club in Scotland. Jan Kruger/R&A Golfers ..

Tech

Enlarge Oliver Morris/Getty Images) In response to an Ars re..

Tech

Enlarge/ You wouldn't really want to use Nvidia's ..