On Tuesday, Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed back on one potential source of extra-congressional funding for President Trump’s border wall: the military construction budget.
The renewed focus on alternative funding sources comes as lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal, in principle, that would keep the government funded while providing $1.375 billion for 55 miles of wall at the southern border. Although that’s a substantial chunk of money, it’s quite a bit short of the $5.7 billion Trump had wanted.
Inhofe is right that Trump shouldn’t tap military construction funds for his wall. Speaking to reporters at the Capitol, he said, “If it becomes necessary, I think that he might do the emergency,” adding, “if it has to be that way … leave MilCon alone.”
MilCon, the military construction budget, is the pot of money for military infrastructure projects such as repairs, updates, as well as new improvements. For the military, plagued by construction and maintenance backlogs and with about 20 percent of Department of Defense facilities needing serious investment, it’s not like that money can be easily or painlessly redirected.
But that might not stop Trump for eyeing it as an easy way to fulfill a campaign promise. And, if he did declare a national emergency, using that money would be pretty easy. Those powers would allow him to redirect unobligated military construction funds for a wall without congressional approval.
As Inhofe has made clear, however, this wouldn’t sit well with Republicans who have long defended, with the exception of libertarian strands of the party, ensuring that the military can meet its spending needs.
The good news for the president, though, is that he doesn’t have to go down that road. Instead of relentlessly chasing cash, he should take the proposed bipartisan deal and start to build the wall with the money Congress is willing to give him.
After all, if it works as well as he says it will, they’ll probably find a way to give him more.
