Pentagon has sidelined 127 military construction projects and transferred $3.6 billion to build a part of the US President Donald Trump's border wall. The Defense Secretary, Mark Esper approved the transfer of funds on September 3. However, more details on projects which will lose funding are yet to be released after the Congress is informed. The Pentagon comptroller, Elaine McCusker has also informed that these projects are just being postponed, not cancelled even though there is no assurance if the funding will be restored by the Congress. 

Construction of The Wall

The money that will be obtained from sidelining these projects will pay for 175 miles of wall along the US-Mexico border. Congress has approved $1.375 billion for the construction in its 2019 budget. It is the same as the previous year but far less than $5.7 billion that the White House originally pursued. President Trump accepted the money to end a 35-day government shutdown in February and declared a national emergency to obtain money from other government accounts. He identified up to $8.1 billion for the construction of the wall. $600 million is transferred from the Treasury Department's asset, $2.5 billion from the Defense Department counterdrug activities, and now the $3.6 billion from military housing construction.

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Pentagon officials have also informed that half of the money is being obtained by sidelining military projects in the US, and another half will be from their projects in other countries. Mark Esper's approval has fueled the controversy between President Trump's administration and Congress over immigration policies and funding of the border wall. This has also led to a debate for lawmakers who opposed the approval of $6 billion for the wall, but now have to make a decision on the refunding of the projects that are being sidelined to provide the money.  

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Lawmakers oppose

Earlier this year, the lawmakers were clear that they will not be fooled by the budget trickery to build the wall. The Senate Democratic Leader, Chuck Schummer of New York said that this is a “slap in the face” for the members of the Armed Forces who serve the country. He also said that President Trump is willing to disassemble the military fund that has been already allocated, only to boost his “ego” for the wall he promised Mexico would pay to build. The Senate leader also emphasized that this shift in funding will have its effect on the US Military Academy at West Point.

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Military projects by the Pentagon

The Pentagon has checked the list of military projects and informed that housing and critical infrastructure that was already provided will not be affected. This was in the caution of recent scandals over poor living quarters for the military personnel in the country. Defense officials have confirmed that the focus on the projects will begin in 2020 and beyond, hoping that the money would be refunded by the Congress. The government will spend military housing funds of 11 wall projects in California, Arizona, and Texas. The most expensive is the 52 miles in Laredo, Texas which is at the cost of $1.27 billion. The Laredo project and El Centro in Calfornia are on private property. The 175 miles of wall that is being covered by the Pentagon, is just a small part of the 1,954-mile US-Mexico border.

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(with inputs from AP)