On Saturday, the current government shutdown will become the longest in U.S. history. And with no negotiated end to it in sight, President Trump is reportedly considering alternative methods to secure funding for his border wall — including taking money from the government budget intended for disaster relief.
Trump is reportedly eyeing $13.9 billion in the Army Corps of Engineers budget that was allocated in a February 2018 bill but never spent. Such funds could cover approximately 315 miles of the border wall. The bill in question provided funding for numerous disaster relief efforts, including reconstruction efforts in post-hurricane Puerto Rico and Florida, flood management projects along the hurricane-affected coastline in Texas, and numerous infrastructure projects in California, including flood protection and wildfire management.
