Cash grab...

Trump defends cash grabs for border projects

By CAITLIN OPRYSKO

President Donald Trump on Wednesday stood by his administration’s efforts to divert money from different corners of the federal government for various initiatives along the U.S.-Mexico border, despite outcry from members of Congress.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper informed congressional leaders on Tuesday of the cash grab from more than 100 military projects — such as upgrading military bases both at home and abroad — that will now be used to build a wall along the southern U.S. border. The move prompted an immediate uproar from Democrats, who cried foul that the president had infringed on Congress’ appropriation authority.

Asked by reporters what he told members of Congress who would see projects in their districts affected by the diversion of funds, Trump said Wednesday he had delegated that task to Esper, who had “very good conversations” with “various” members, the president said.

“I didn't tell [them] anything,” he said of the move. “The secretary of Defense spoke with members of Congress and explained it to them and I think he felt very good about it.”

Trump added that Esper agrees with his assessment that a national security crisis exists along the border.

Tuesday’s announcement came on top of Trump’s national emergency declaration earlier this year, a step that would allow him to steer $8 billion from various federal accounts to build a physical barrier along the southwest border, including a Treasury Department fund and Defense Department efforts to interdict illegal drugs.

Separately, Trump also defended a different shifting of funds within the Department of Homeland Security for immigration proceedings and detention facilities along the border. DHS notified Congress earlier this month of the plan, which would siphon $155 million from FEMA’s disaster fund to go toward facilities to hold immigration proceedings. The administration has claimed that this money would not affect the government’s ability to respond to disasters, a main criticism from lawmakers as hurricane season kicks off.

Regardless, Trump said Wednesday he isn’t concerned about the move despite the threat that Hurricane Dorian continues to pose to the East Coast as it continues its churn northward, arguing that it helped that Florida largely escaped a direct hit from the storm.

“Oh yeah,” Trump said when asked whether he is still comfortable with that shift in resources. “We are using much less here than we anticipated. We thought this was going to be a direct — originally this was going to be a direct hit into Miami and we would have been satisfied anyway. No, we need help on the border.”

Despite the administration's funding shifts, preliminary numbers obtained by POLITICO show that the number of migrants caught crossing the border continued a sharp decline in August, dropping 30 percent from the previous month. That number, which reached record levels earlier this year, has decreased by more than half since May, acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan said in the Oval Office on Wednesday.

Trump on Wednesday also repeated his vow to have at least 500 miles of border wall “almost completed if not complete” by around the time of the presidential election next year, despite progress on that front coming slowly amid litigation over his efforts to fund the projects.