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VOL. 43 | NO. 7 | Friday, February 15, 2019
How Trump gets to $8 billion to build southern border wall
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says he will spend about $8 billion to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. It's a far greater sum than the roughly $1.4 billion Congress set aside for that purpose in legislation Trump is expected to sign to prevent another partial government shutdown.
Trump has declared a national emergency on the southern border and is using his executive authority to go around Congress and siphon money from other government accounts.
Here's a breakdown of the $8 billion, according to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney:
• $1.375 billion included in the government funding bill awaiting Trump's signature
• $3.6 billion from military construction funds
• $2.5 billion from Defense Department counterdrug activities
• $600 million from the Treasury Department's asset forfeiture fund