How Trump's border wall will be funded
New York Congressman Tom Reed (R) and California Congressman John Garamendi (D) weigh in on the end result over President Trump's national emergency declaration.
President Trump declared a national emergency on Friday to help fund construction of a long-promised wall along the country’s southern border.
He is expected to shift around roughly $8 billion in already appropriated funds toward the initiative – which has been one of his signature campaign promises, sources with knowledge of the matter told Fox News.
This comes after the White House said Trump would sign a spending measure to fund the government – avoiding a government shutdown. That bill, which lacks the desired funds for the border wall, was approved by Congress on Thursday.
Here’s a look at where the president wants to draw some of the money for the border wall from, according to White House sources:
About $600 million will come from the Treasury Department’s drug forefeiture fund. White House sources told FOX Business that these funds are viewed as easily accessible over the near term.
Another $2.5 billion will be drawn from the Defense Department’s drug interdiction program – which is also viewed as a resource that can be tapped imminently.
The president plans to pluck $3.5 billion from the Department of Defense’s military construction budget.
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The Homeland Security appropriations bill will provide another $1.375 billion. This money will come from the bill that the president is expected to sign and not as a result of executive action.
Fox News’ John Roberts and FOX Business’ Blake Burman contributed to this report.