“Land the Landing Force; Leave it to the Marines; Hell Bent for
Leather”
(Our New National Motto)
Trump wants U.S. military
on the border from two sources:
Trump’s recent call to redirect money from the military budget towards his border is fraught with obstacles.
#1: It’s the legislative branch’s
constitutional right to allocate government funding (and it’s illegal to use federal funds for anything
other than what Congress appropriates it for). Ergo: Trump is legally
limited.
Like Obama and Bush, Trump could call on the National Guard to
go down to the border. But if that directive comes from the federal government,
the guards legally can’t act as law enforcement - why not?
The Posse Comitatus Act forbids using the
military in civilian law enforcement. It leaves Trump two options: have states
send down their guards, which means states would have to foot the bill, or have
guards on the border in non-law enforcement roles.
For example in 2010,
when Obama deployed 1,200 National Guard troops to the border,
they fixed infrastructure, worked on surveillance, and processed arrests.
That
was similar to Bush’s 2006’s Operation Jump Start. But
even this was very expensive and was largely criticized for being ineffective.
“Critics
of the deployment include budget hawks, who say it is a waste of money, and
residents here along the border, who say they are tired of seeing armed troops
in their back yard,” the Washington Post reported at the time.
“The 1,200 National Guard troops have helped Border Patrol agents apprehend
25,514 illegal immigrants at a cost of $160 million — or $6,271 for each person
caught.”
Another option is to tap into the emergency military
construction funding known as MILCON. Up to $50 million can be used without
congressional approval in cases of national security or to protect U.S.
military officers, but using MILCON
funding is also guaranteed to make members of Congress particularly angry,
because it would be the military construction projects in their districts that
would be directly losing money to the wall.
Not to mention that $50 million won’t get Trump much mileage
on the border. For context, Congress appropriated $445 million for 25
miles of levee fencing in the Rio Grande Valley and $251 million to replace 14
miles of existing secondary fencing in the San Diego sector. Using the
military on the border would be a “big step” towards border security, Trump
said, but reality is very different picture.
MILCON Note: MILCON appropriation accounts receive considerable
attention from Congress, and are enacted separately from the Defense
Appropriations Act.
These appropriations fund the costs of major
construction projects such as bases, facilities, military schools, for troops
and their families, etc.
My 2 Cents: So will this fly – will this all
GOP-run Congress relent and Kowtow to Trump for what he wants (unquestioned support,
blind loyalty) and all the money he demands for his damn wall, and even if he violates the trust of his office as he
violates several laws outlined above?
Recall this promise and pledge to the public?
That is the $64,000 question isn’t it as always, stay
tuned since this is going to get real ugly and really fast – or is he bluffing to
the deal wants for bragging rights as usual?
We are about to find out this very
critical “plan” he has as some sort of revenge against Mexico.
Thanks for stopping by.
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