Trump plans on Wednesday to sign an executive order to direct funds to the building of a wall

[still_one]

Source: NY Times

WASHINGTON — President Trump will order the construction of a Mexican border wall on Wednesday, White House officials said, and is mulling plans to stop Syrian refugees from entering the country and to slash immigration of refugees from “terror prone” nations, perhaps as early as this week.

During an appearance at the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday, Mr. Trump plans to sign an executive order to direct federal funds to be shifted toward the building of a wall on the southern border that became a signature promise of his campaign. He has argued that doing so is vital to gaining control over the illegal flow of immigrants into the United States.


Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/us/politics/wall-border-trump.html?action=Click&contentCollection=BreakingNews&contentID=64836367&pgtype=article

---

Can the President direct Federal Funds to build this monstrosity? Isn't Congress in charge of the purse strings?

[meadowlark5]

1. How can appropriating funds be done by executive order?

I thought the purse strings were held by congress - not that they wouldn't approve it. But I didn't think the executive branch had the authority to appropriate funds.

[Sancho]

49. No worries, he can get a loan from the Russian mafia!

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

54. When did he ever worry about actually paying for anything he built?

I think he's pissed off that people aren't drooling over him so he's being a vindictive little asshole. They need to impeach his ass fast.

[El Mimbreno]

55. Bingo on the heaing and the text!!

Six corporate bankruptcies and he came out unscathed. And he promised to run the country like he runs ois businesses.

[pnwmom]

2. That is exactly what I wanted to know. How can he "shift" funds that were

appropriated in a Federal budget without new legislation?

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. He can't. NT

[C_U_L8R]

3. He doesn't know what he's doing

Does he?

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Going Rogue

Some watchdog group might sue over this ... even if he goes by
the fence the Bushes planned and started, it wasn't a wall and the
money is not just lying around, Congress has to appropriate it

[nini]

5. It better be pretty deep

because they'll just use the tunnels the have.

[bdamomma]

7. I think I have read enough

he is going to cause a lot of damage to the US.

He is on a whirlwind and gutting everything, Now he wants that fucking wall??? He is destroying everything.

He is a tyrant/moron.

[still_one]

10. we are literally at the mercy of the republicans in Congress

[LisaL]

25. I expect them to be saying what a great idea this is.

[bucolic_frolic]

8. A dark, angry, vengeful view of the world

When does the "carnage" begin?

[2naSalit]

41. Already in progress....nt

[dchill]

9. Wow! Mexico came through already!!!

[bdamomma]

11. Mexico can't stand him either

[still_one]

12. Here is the Washington Posts take on this story

National Security
Trump to sign executive orders enabling construction of proposed border wall and targeting sanctuary cities


https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/president-trump-is-planning-to-sign-executive-orders-on-immigration-this-week/2017/01/24/aba22b7a-e287-11e6-a453-19ec4b3d09ba_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_trumpdhs910p%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

[TeamPooka]

13. That wall is to keep us all in. nt

[Rhiannon12866]

20. My thoughts, too...

What was that about the Canadian immigration website crashing??

[TeamPooka]

35. He's going to need two walls

[Rhiannon12866]

39. He'd better get moving...

The very next post I happened to look at was by someone discussing seeking asylum elsewhere. Seriously...

[Stonepounder]

14. And in there 'alternate reality' they refuse to accept that illegal immigration from the South

1. is lower than it has been in 40 years. (http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/13/politics/fact-check-immigration/)
2. illegal immigrants coming in are just about completely offset by emigrants heading back to Mexico.

And Paul Ryan might not be happy with derTrumpenfurheur usurping the House's Constitutional authority to initiate spending bills. The Orange Whackadoodle thinks the Federal Budget is just a huge pool of money the he can spend any way he wants.

I hope Congress gets off its butt and realizes that they have a deranged incompetent in the White House that they need to get out before he completely destroyes the country.

[groundloop]

15. I suspect this will signal the end of any cooperation from Congress

Attempting the usurp Congress' authority to control the Country's purse strings is surely going to piss off more than a few congress critters, even the repubs. I may be wrong, but I suspect tRump just lost any cooperation from Congress.

[GusBob]

21. Correct. He will say he tried and Congress stopped him

But he did say he would get Mexico to pay for it.....

What if he seized assets of deported immigrants or forfeiture of money, such as wire transfers to Central America?

[Glamrock]

27. He'd get enough to pay for it in at least

20 or 30 years...

[GusBob]

29. The construction of the wall will be met with massive demonstrations and sabotage

Grannies blocking bulldozers will be the measure of it

[Glamrock]

30. It's pretty hilarious

that the people so afraid of their government want their government to fence them in.

[Rural_Progressive]

57. Humorous, disturbing, and profoundly sad all at the same time - nt

[Cracklin Charlie]

40. That'll look great on the ABC evening news.

Better tune in, President Trump...it's must-see teevee!

[azmom]

58. Mexico is not Central America. If he wants Mexico

to pay for the wall, he would have to target Mexican immigrants.

[azmom]

59. What's interesting is that Mexico has been cooperating

With the US to stop Central American's from reaching the US border by detaining them in Mexico. A Diplomat from Mexico stated that this cooperation could cease if Trump keeps being hostile to Mexico.

[TeddyBear 1]

16. what a

HUGE waste of money..

[jmowreader]

17. Congress plans on Thursday to file articles of impeachment against Donald Trump

Or at least they better. He has just announced he is overthrowing Congress on Wednesday, and they need to get rid of the bastard. Now.

[Phoenix61]

18. If they really didn't want illegals working here

They would fine the heck out of employers that hire them. That would generate money for the government and deter employers from hiring them. Hmm... wonder why they don't do that? Oh yeah, all that cheap labor.

[BainsBane]

23. Exactly.

[Bayard]

56. California

The economy of CA would crash if such a thing was built--and enforced. Big agriculture absolutely depends on undocumented workers. I don't see that a wall is going to do anything anyway, unless they electrify or mine it.

[sarcasmo]

19. USDA, CDC closed to build the Wall! It's gonna be HUGE!

[BainsBane]

22. No, he can't.

Congress appropriates money for spending. It's in the fucking constitution.

[LisaL]

24. I'd say this is all that I expected and more out of Trump's presidency.

And it's only been a few days.
Fasten up your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.

[still_one]

31. ...................................

[Flatpicker]

26. I never realized

That Spaceballs was going to be prescient.

I say we have a national holiday every January 20th Called Mel Brooks day.

[Lifelong Protester]

28. Money shifted from where?

He's not king (he thinks he is) and cannot just 'order' things done.

What about the Native American land the wall would have to go through?

Is this what I pay taxes for??

[LisaL]

32. It says federal funds.

[Lifelong Protester]

34. Isn't that illegal??

[obamanut2012]

48. Yes -- only Congress can do that

[DeminPennswoods]

47. 175M already in place

I read there is 175M available in DHS to study/plan/assess, etc. a border wall. That's probably what's being redirected, but it's a drop in the bucket.

[Freethinker65]

33. +1000. That's my question as well. Mr. Spicer? Ms. Conway? Prepare your non-answers

[Tanuki]

53. Maybe he plans to take it from the $1 trillion from Medicaid and $449 billion from Medicare

(the cuts favored by Tom Price, his HHS nominee). I guess for people like Trump who go for decades at a time paying no federal income tax while living in luxury and flying a private jet, it's all the stuff of fantasy anyway and untethered to the reality of people's daily lives.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2017/jan/10/charles-schumer/schumer-trump-and-his-hhs-pick-tom-price-odds-medi/

[Cha]

36. that's the idiot's idea of infrastructure

[YOHABLO]

37. Let's see here: he's going to build a wall, build up the military, tackle the infrastructure, create

jobs, repeal and replace the ACA, all while lowering taxes on the rich and corporations. Well I'll be damned.

[SamKnause]

38. I would like to be a wall around Republicans.

They are the greatest threat this country and the world faces.

[murielm99]

42. He thinks he can govern by executive order,

and the hell with Congress and everybody else. He will find out that it does not work that way, and make enemies in his own party.

He is just like a kid who wants to be a cowboy, fireman, astronaut and baseball player all at the same time. Most kids grow up. Not this one.

[Dave Starsky]

50. Who will stop him? No one.

The only hope that we have is that he will eventually just get bored and quit.

Even Godzilla finally walked back into the sea

[Cryptoad]

43. Be smart,,,,,,

Hard Times are a coming !

[struggle4progress]

44. He must own chain-link-fence stock

[pfitz59]

45. I've got just the crew to do the job....

[C_U_L8R]

51. Trump is an amateur

and needs to go back to school for a
101 class in how this country works.

What a weak ineffective President.

[HopeAgain]

52. Nobody is asking where the money will come from.

Will there be less TSA agents at our airports?

[muntrv]

60. One reason the wall won't be built is because

Orange Julius will stiff the contractors working on the wall.

[keithbvadu2]

61. Trump and Idi Amin on spending money

Trump and Idi Amin on spending money

http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1290570/44-money-uganda

A story is told of a former Governor of Bank of Uganda who was killed after defying orders from President Idi Amin to print money. It is reported that Joseph Mubiru, was summoned by Amin and asked to release money urgently. The governor told Amin that the treasury did not have money. -