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Although it is difficult to determine which military construction would be suspended, this initiative could jeopardize projects such as command and control, drones, cyberspace and training facilities in the United States and the United States. 39; abroad.
White House officials have held talks over the last few weeks to begin planning for the move, two senior administration officials said, who would transfer funds from the Defense Ministry's military construction budget to fund the move. the border wall. This decision would build on President Donald Trump's February emergency declaration, which faced serious legal challenges.
In July, however, the Supreme Court authorized the Trump government to use $ 2.5 billion in drug control funding by the Department of Defense to build walls of the wall while a legal battle occurred. was disputing whether the government had the power to divert funds that were not allocated to the wall.
The use of these additional military construction funds could spark a new legal challenge.
The administration officials said the action was being prepared, but that it was unclear when the Pentagon would officially start transferring the funds.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Defense officials told CNN that the Ministry of Defense had spent a lot of time reviewing the funds for military construction and that it was unclear whether this process was over, which needs to be done before Defense Secretary Mark Esper can sign. their use, a gesture that will not fail to elicit opposition from some members of Congress and court challenges.
In order to reuse the funds, the Secretary of Defense must certify that the new project they fund supports US military operations.
On August 22, the construction works of a border wall system were undertaken on about 124 km, with the aid of $ 2.5 billion coming from a different funding from the Ministry of the Interior. Defense. This wall – which will be in the areas of El Paso, El Centro and Tucson – will replace dilapidated or obsolete barriers, according to the Customs and Border Protection Department.
In August, no new wall was built, it was only a matter of replacing old barriers and vehicle barriers. The administration argues that the replacement construction has provided a new capacity.
Approximately 5 additional miles are expected to begin construction in September 2019.
In addition, "since April 2018, the Department of Defense has committed approximately $ 450 million for active force deployments and National Guards at the Southwest Border, to support the Department of Homeland Security," he said. Thursday the Pentagon in a statement to CNN. paid for the thousands of troops deployed in support of the border.
The President held regular meetings with collaborators to ask them why more was not done on the wall. He recently told his associates that he would forgive them if they committed illegal acts while satisfying his request to build a wall on the southern border by 2020, confirmed two officials at CNN. . The Washington Post first reported the comments of forgiveness.
Officials had earlier told CNN that they intended to use the military construction funds only after contracting additional funds available to the administration, including funds for confiscation of Treasury the Pentagon Drug Control Fund and Congressional appropriations.
Trump has announced plans to transfer $ 3.6 billion of military construction funds to the construction of a border wall in February. It is unclear whether the Defense Department will commit the full amount immediately, especially since the move may result in a court challenge.
Kaitlan Collins from CNN contributed to this report.
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