WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th January, 2019) The Trump administration is considering the use of disaster relief funding to build a wall on the southern border amid refusal of congressional Democrats to approve it, media reported.
The White House has asked the US Army Corps of Engineers to look into using funds from a bill approved for providing disaster relief to Puerto Rico, Texas, California and Florida to construct a border wall on the US southern border, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday citing a congressional aide familiar with the matter.
US President Donald Trump has been mulling the idea of using emergency powers to fund a border wall after Democratic leadership in Congress has refused to back a spending bill that includes the $5.7 billion he is requesting for the project.
The US Federal government has been partially shut down since December 22 over the dispute of funding for a border wall.
On Wednesday, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with Trump again, but the meeting ended quickly after Trump walked out because the Democratic leaders did not compromise on funding for the border wall.
At present, there is a 600-mile long barrier on the 1,900-mile US border with Mexico consisting of 16-foot high fence. Trump has said he plans to erect a steel wall over 30 feet tall on more than 200 miles of the border.
