US President Donald Trump will demand a further $ 8.6 billion from the Congress for a wall on the border with Mexico tomorrow, named unnamed government officials. That would be more than six times as much as Congress has approved for projects on the border over the last two financial years.
Trump is unlikely to get away with it. Because the Democrats, who have the majority in the House of Representatives, consider a wall on the southern border unnecessary. The fiscal year for which the billions are planned will start in October 2020. Until then, there must be an understanding.
Trump wants to build or replace border fortifications over a length of 1,162 kilometers. That should cost around 18 billion dollars. According to government officials, however, only a fraction of this has been tackled. For the current fiscal year of 2019, Trump had demanded $ 5.7 billion for the wall, but only $ 1.375 billion had been approved by Congress for fencing. Trump then declared a state of emergency to tap other sources of money.
It is debatable whether there really is a crisis on the border with Mexico. Many critics accuse the president of exceeding his constitutional powers. The question is likely to deal with many other dishes.
