Washington: As part of its efforts to complete backlog of building projects at home which were deferred to pay for the border wall project of President Donald Trump, the Pentagon is moving to scuttle nearly 19 more military construction projects ― including US$274 million worth in Europe to deter Russia.
Defence Secretary Mark Esper directed the moves in a memo on April 27 to acting Pentagon Comptroller Elaine McCusker. Overall, Esper plans to reshuffle US$545.5 million in the department’s construction budget.
The funding shifts would deal a particular blow to efforts to deter Russia in Europe, where roughly US$1 billion in planned projects stand to lose funding to pay for the southern border wall. Those projects include infrastructure for military aircraft, fuel and munitions storage through the European Deterrence Initiative.
Key House Democrats ripped the Trump administration for partially backfilling cancelled military construction projects to build his “wasteful” border wall. House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, called it, “an end run around Congress.”
“Even worse, Trump is doing this by cancelling funding for critical European Deterrence Initiative projects that were designed to bolster real national security needs and prevent Russian aggression against American allies and partners in Europe,” they said in a joint statement.
“Once again, the Trump Administration is putting domestic political considerations ahead of national security, and Trump is trampling on Congress’ power of the purse in the process. The American people deserve better, but they will only get it when Congressional Republicans join us and stand up to this out-of-control President.”
The latest plan would move 2021 funding for projects in places like Texas and Guantanamo Bay, but also Spain, Norway, Germany, Jordan, Japan and the Kwajalein Atoll, so that the Pentagon restart 22 projects in 17 states that had been defunded.
When Esper in September approved the diversion of $3.6 billion from 127 military construction projects to pay for barriers and fences in Texas, Arizona and California, he suggested European allies could help replenish $771 million for 40 projects across Europe.
The Pentagon has maintained all the affected projects are “deferred,” but Congress would have had to backfill the funding. In his memo Esper said his new funding shifts would enable the execution of projects scheduled for contract awards this calendar year and would “ensure adequate funding remains available” for border wall projects.
