Tapping California, Puerto Rico Aid for Wall Sparks Furor
- $5 billion in Army Corps projects targeted, lawmaker says
- Idea draws opposition from lawmakers in affected areas
President Donald Trump tours damage in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico on Oct. 3, 2017.
Photographer: Mandel Ngan/AFP
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The Trump administration is considering diverting money Congress earmarked for disaster aid after a series of hurricanes and wildfires to pay for a wall on the nation’s southern border, an idea that drew a swift rebuke from lawmakers in the affected areas.
The White House is looking in particular at diverting funds from seven Army Corps of Engineers flood-control projects in California and six in Puerto Rico, California Representative John Garamendi said in an interview. The money would come from $13.9 billion in projects funded by Congress last year that also include Texas, Louisiana and Florida.