crimethink
22nd May 2017, 06:22 PM
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/mexico/2017/05/22/border-wall-funding-shrinks-trumps-2018-budget
WASHINGTON — The White House has drastically scaled back demands for funds to construct a border wall, seeking $1.6 billion in the budget headed for Congress on Tuesday — $2.5 billion less than announced just two months ago.
And there is still no plan to force Mexico to pay for the project as the president vowed throughout the campaign.
The Trump budget blueprint rolled out in mid-March called for $2.6 billion toward wall construction by the end of 2018. The stopgap budget that runs through Sept. 30 includes $1.5 billion for border security. But in cutting the deal with Democrats, President Donald Trump dropped a demand to use any of those funds for new barrier construction along the Southwest border.
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said at the time that there was too little time left in 2017 to start building a new wall, and he touted the $1.5 billion as sufficient to repair and upgrade existing fencing, and to work on roads and planning for a more ambitious barrier.
He also promised that the other $2.6 billion toward wall construction would be included in the 2018 budget plan, for a total of $4.1 billion.
But Trump's 2018 plan includes just $1.6 billion toward the wall, according to details shared by aides.
WASHINGTON — The White House has drastically scaled back demands for funds to construct a border wall, seeking $1.6 billion in the budget headed for Congress on Tuesday — $2.5 billion less than announced just two months ago.
And there is still no plan to force Mexico to pay for the project as the president vowed throughout the campaign.
The Trump budget blueprint rolled out in mid-March called for $2.6 billion toward wall construction by the end of 2018. The stopgap budget that runs through Sept. 30 includes $1.5 billion for border security. But in cutting the deal with Democrats, President Donald Trump dropped a demand to use any of those funds for new barrier construction along the Southwest border.
White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said at the time that there was too little time left in 2017 to start building a new wall, and he touted the $1.5 billion as sufficient to repair and upgrade existing fencing, and to work on roads and planning for a more ambitious barrier.
He also promised that the other $2.6 billion toward wall construction would be included in the 2018 budget plan, for a total of $4.1 billion.
But Trump's 2018 plan includes just $1.6 billion toward the wall, according to details shared by aides.