Trump Briefed on Plan to Use Army Corps Funding for Border Wall: Report
PRIORITIES
The Army Corps funding includes money set aside for Puerto Rico reconstruction.
Leah Millis/Reuters
President Donald Trump was briefed on a plan that would use Army Corps funding meant for civil works projects to build his desired $5.7 billion border wall, according to NBC News. If Trump declares a national emergency in order to get funding for the wall, the president could reportedly dip into $13.9 billion of Army Corps funding—which includes $2.4 billion set aside for California projects and $2.5 billion for reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico. Trump was also reportedly told the U.S. Army Corps of engineers could build 315 miles of border wall in about 18 months. The president was reportedly briefed on this plan Thursday while he was on his way to the border, sources told NBC. Puerto Rico is still recovering from damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria, and California is grappling with homes and infrastructure lost due to the wildfires that occurred last year.
