Trump could end up taking money from Puerto Rico disaster funds to build his border wall

Evan Vucci/AP

• President Donald Trump was reportedly briefed on a proposal that would divert $13.9 billion from civil works projects, including reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico, to build a barrier on the US-Mexico border.
• The funds from the Army Corps of Engineers had not yet been distributed, but with a national emergency declaration, Trump would reportedly be able to tap into the funds and spend it on a border wall.
• The emergency plan would reportedly allow Trump to utilize the $2.4 billion and $2.5 billion set aside for civil projects ranging from flood prevention in California, to reconstruction efforts in the hurricane-affected US territory of Puerto Rico.

President Donald Trump was reportedly briefed on a proposal that would divert $13.9 billion from civil-works projects, including reconstruction efforts in Puerto Rico, to build a barrier on the US-Mexico border, according to multiple news reports published Thursday.

The funds from the Army Corps of Engineers had not yet been distributed, but with a national emergency declaration, Trump would be able to procure the barrier funding that Democrats have adamantly opposed, officials told CNN and NBC News.

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from Business Insider https://read.bi/2FmNTdA