After a meandering press conference where he said “this has been done many times in the past-President Obama did it–it’s not such a big deal” at least twice Trump signed an emergency declaration that will free up $8 billion for border wall construction.
This includes the $1.375 billion in the funding bill passed by Congress Thursday.
Another shutdown would have been risky, too, and there wasn’t much appetite for going that route again among congressional Republicans said NPR. “White House officials say the $8 billion should allow Trump to build as much wall as he wanted to, had Congress authorized the $5.7 billion he asked for — 234 miles of barrier. Officials say plans are to construct a metal bollard barrier, not a concrete wall, at locations to be determined by Customs and Border Protection.”
