US Department of Defense Requests Congress to Reallocate $3.8 Billion Defense Budget for Barrier Construction

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Controversy is spreading as the U.S. Department of Defense has requested Congress to allow the reallocation of $3.8 billion (approximately 4.5 trillion KRW) from the defense budget to the construction of the border wall. Some of the reallocated funds are known to come from the National Guard budget and the procurement budget for U.S. military combat aircraft such as the F-35 and V-22, prompting strong opposition from the opposition Democratic Party.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 13th (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense sent a request to Congress to allow the reallocation of $3.8 billion from the defense budget, including the National Guard and weapons program budgets, to fund the border wall construction. Of the reallocated funds, $1.5 billion is from the National Guard budget, and the remainder is known to be procurement funds for U.S. military weapons purchases such as the F-35 fighter jets, C-130 transport aircraft, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, V-22 Osprey vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and naval shipbuilding.

The U.S. Department of Defense previously announced in September last year that it would use $3.6 billion out of 127 projects' budgets for domestic and overseas military facility construction for the border wall construction. The Washington Post (WP) reported last month that the Trump administration was preparing to additionally reallocate $7.2 billion of Department of Defense funds for border wall construction. Accordingly, it is expected that the U.S. Department of Defense may request Congress to further reallocate some of the defense budget for border wall construction costs in the future.

The Democratic Party immediately opposed the move. Nita Lowey, Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Pete Visclosky, Chair of the Defense Subcommittee, issued a statement criticizing, "President Trump is once again disregarding the separation of powers and endangering our security by tapping into military resources for the border wall costs." They added, "The Constitution grants budgetary authority to Congress, not the President. Congress rejected President Trump's request for funding the wall construction, so now he is using the backdoor."