Acting Pentagon chief not decided yet on funding border wall

[webfact]

Acting Pentagon chief not decided yet on funding border wall

By Idrees Ali

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan speaks at the annual Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Andreas Gebert

 

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT (Reuters) - Acting U.S. Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan said on Saturday he had not yet determined whether a border wall with Mexico was a military necessity or how much Pentagon money would be used.

 

President Donald Trump on Friday declared a national emergency in a bid to fund his promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border without congressional approval.

 

A U.S. defence official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Shanahan was likely to approve the $3.6 billion (£2.8 billion) being redirected from the military construction budget.

 

By declaring a national emergency, Trump can use certain Department of Defence funding to build the wall.

 

According to the law, the defence secretary has to decide whether the wall is militarily necessary before money from the military construction budget can be used.

 

"We always anticipated that this would create a lot of attention and since moneys potentially could be redirected, you can imagine the concern this generates," Shanahan told reporters travelling back with him from his trip to Afghanistan, the Middle East and Europe.

 

"Very deliberately, we have not made any decisions, we have identified the steps we would take to make those decisions," Shanahan said.

 

He added that military planners had done the initial analysis and he would start reviewing it on Sunday.

 

Officials have said that the administration had found nearly $7 billion to reallocate to the wall, including about $3.6 billion from the military construction budget and $2.5 billion from a Defence Department drug interdiction fund.

 

The U.S. defence official said Shanahan would meet with the service secretaries in the coming days to pick which specific projects the money should come from.

 

Shanahan said that planners had identified the different sources of money that could be used, but he had not decided specifically what projects it would impact and ultimately it was his decision.

 

"I am not required to do anything," he said.

 

Shanahan said he did not expect to take money away from projects like military housing.

 

Poor standards of military housing were highlighted by recent Reuters reporting, which described rampant mould and pest infestations, childhood lead poisoning, and service families often powerless to challenge private landlords in business with their military employers.

 

"Military housing, what’s been interesting- I’ve received a number of letters, I’ve had lots of feedback, do not jeopardise projects that are underway," Shanahan said.

 

"As we step our way through the process we’ll use good judgement," Shanahan said.

 

The Republican president's move, circumventing Congress, seeks to make good on a 2016 presidential campaign pledge to build a border wall that Trump insists is necessary to curtail illegal immigration.

 

Within hours, the action was challenged in a lawsuit filed on behalf of three Texas landowners.

 

"We are following the law, using the rules and we're not bending the rules," Shanahan said.

 

(Reporting by Idrees Ali aboard military aircraft; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-18

[wombat]

$2.5 billion from a Defence Department drug interdiction fund.

is that money that has been confiscated from the cartels ?
it seems a bit light on if it is.

[Emdog]

"According to the law, the defence secretary has to decide whether the wall is militarily necessary before money from the military construction budget can be used."

Laws are for little people, not big shots like Trump

He has said he knows more than the generals before (and everyone else about everything else) so why waste time?

Just walk in and start writing checks

[Basil B]

Acting Pentagon Chief...

 

Is nobodies job permanent under Trump?

[Berkshire]

If Shanahan concludes that the wall is not a national emergency/military necessity, he will be sacked.  So as usual, a Trump appointee has to decide between following Trump's orders or doing the right thing.  There should be a sign at the White House entrance:  Leave your integrity at the door!

[wwest5829]

49 minutes ago, Emdog said:

"According to the law, the defence secretary has to decide whether the wall is militarily necessary before money from the military construction budget can be used."

Laws are for little people, not big shots like Trump

He has said he knows more than the generals before (and everyone else about everything else) so why waste time?

Just walk in and start writing checks

Individual #1 is, after all, Commander-in-Chief of all US armed forces. Whoa, could not stop the chill running down my back!

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

including about $3.6 billion from the military construction budget and $2.5 billion from a Defence Department drug interdiction fund.

Note to budget appropriations team for FY 2020: cut Defense budget $3.6 billion.

[Srikcir]

No, Donald Trump can’t just use Pentagon money for his border wall

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/3/30/17177544/donald-trump-pentagon-military-fund-border-wall

 

[Tug]

How much does mr Patrick want his job?is he an American who respects and will uphold the constitution or is he a Donald trump boot licking tody 

[Redline]

13 hours ago, Emdog said:

"According to the law, the defence secretary has to decide whether the wall is militarily necessary before money from the military construction budget can be used."

Laws are for little people, not big shots like Trump

He has said he knows more than the generals before (and everyone else about everything else) so why waste time?

Just walk in and start writing checks

He knows more than anyone, and if he has any doubts, he asks Putin 

[helpisgood]

Sure, let's divert defense funds to defending our southern border from a ragtag bunch, that include women and young children, who had to walk across the length of Mexico to reach the border.   Thank God the Chinese and the Russians or even the No. Koreans, etc. are not so technologically advanced as these dreaded "caravans."   

 

So, is these really about a true emergency national crisis or just about appeasing a campaign base that doesn't like people with brown skin, i.e., people who are cannot be "true Americans"?  Are these impoverished people the real threat to average Americans or the rich and powerful who have the true ability to make life more difficult for the non-wealthy in America?