WASHINGTON — If President Trump declares an emergency to build the wall with Mexico, he still needs money to pay for it. And shifting money from other accounts to deliver the $5.7 billion he wants is not without political problems.

The administration has been eyeing several pots of money – including disaster funds, counternarcotic accounts and military construction dollars – to fund Trump’s wall, according to congressional aides and White House officials.

White House acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney has said there are various accounts available.

One possibility is shifting a portion of the $13 billion in disaster aid Congress approved last year for Puerto Rico and a dozen states, including California and Texas, hit hard by hurricanes, flooding and other disasters. The money funds Army Corps projects, and the Puerto Rico aid alone totals more than $2 billion.

But Texas lawmakers revolted over White House plans to tap Hurricane Harvey funds, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Thursday they won assurances from the White House that the money won’t be used for the wall.

“We’ve been pretty clear we thought that would be a mistake,” said Cornyn, who along with the state’s governor and other lawmakers urged the White House to stay away from that account. “There’s limited pots of money he can get into, but I’m pretty confident he won’t get into disaster funds.”

Advertisement

A more likely option is the military construction account that’s used to upgrade bases and facilities.

Congressional aides said there is $21 billion available. That includes about $10 billion in funds from the current 2019 fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, and $11 billion remaining from the previous four years, said the aides. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the funding details.

But tapping the military construction money also may hit resistance. The money often goes for improvements to housing, roads, hospitals and other facilities, and can be used to eliminate mold or other hazardous problems at military installations in congressional districts across the nation and around the globe.

The White House has been searching for funding as it became clear Congress would not provide the money Trump was demanding to build the wall. Trump had campaigned on the promise that Mexico would pay for it.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: