The Trump Administration is taking a reprogramming activity that will certainly see the Department of Defense move $3.8 billion in protection financing in reaction to a Department of Homeland Security ask for “support for DHS counter-drug activity.”
The $3.8 billion consists of $991 billion in Navy shipbuilding funds for 2 ships, LHA-9 ($ 650 million) as well as an Expeditionary Fast Transport ($ 261 million).
The assistance asked for by DHS is, basically, for the much promoted boundary wall surface
According to a file sent out to Congress, “DHS has identified areas along the southern border of the United States that are being used by individuals, groups, and transnational criminal organizations as drug smuggling corridors, and determined that the construction of additional physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the United States border is necessary in order to impede and deny drug smuggling activities.”
“Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 284(b)(7) authorizes the DoD to support counterdrug activities of other Federal agencies through the construction of roads and fences, and the installation of lighting, to block drug smuggling corridors across international boundaries of the United States,” claims the record. “Such support is funded using the DoD’s Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities appropriation.”
Here’s what the record claims concerning both Navy ships that are being defunded:
“Landing Helicopter Assault (LHA) ship funding is early to current programmatic need,” claims the record. “The procurement funds are not required until FY 2023. This is a congressional special interest item.”
“The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) funding is excess to current programmatic need,” proceeds the record. “The procurement exceeds the program-of-record requirement. This is a congressional special interest item.”
Both ships are “congressional special interest items” because they were included in the appropriations by Congress although they were not in the Navy budget plan demand.
Congressman Joe Courtney (D. Conn.), Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower as well as Projection Forces, called the reprogramming “a hit-and-run strike on the 2020 defense budget, which the President just signed into law on December 20.”
“That budget,” he stated, “represented a year of diligent, bipartisan work that took the Pentagon’s initial request, and with the able help of professional staff, produced a final product that passed with overwhelming bipartisan support.”
