2019-09-16 Bloomberg Businessweek

6

◼ AGENDA

● Diverting Pentagon construction money defies

Congress and hurts military readiness

◼ BLOOMBERG OPINION

Written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board ILLUSTRATION

BY

BENEDIKT

RUGAR

Kudos to the Pentagon for shedding more light on an enduring

mystery of Donald Trump’s administration: Who will pay for a

wall along the 2,000-mile U.S. border with Mexico?

The answer: not Mexico, as the president has frequently

declaimed, but U.S. taxpayers—at the expense of the

nation’s defense.

The U.S. Department of Defense recently sent lawmakers

a list of about $3.6 billion in military construction projects

that would be deferred to pay for Trump’s wall. This diver-

sion comes on top of the $601 million the administration has

redirected from the Treasury Department’s forfeiture fund

and an additional $2.5 billion hijacked from the Pentagon’s

other priorities.

This is worse than just budget gimmickry. Weigh the value

of the wall against some of the programs Trump is deferring

or potentially eliminating: updating the ground infrastruc-

ture for the Minuteman III ballistic missile, training and

equipping Afghan security forces, dismantling chemical

weapons, or improving radar for airborne warning planes.

The $3.6 billion in construction funds would have gone to

building or improving facilities such as a cyberoperations

center in Virginia, small-arms firing ranges and combat

The Wall Is Bad Defense

training sites in a half-dozen states, ammunition storage

bunkers, aircraft and vehicle hangars, and military clinics, as

well as expanding missile defense in Alaska. More than half

of the funds would have hardened aircraft shelters, extended

runways, and built fuel storage facilities and schools for mil-

itary families at bases overseas.

Congress has rightly and repeatedly refused to provide most

of the $13.3 billion Trump has requested for a wall that prom-

ises to be a boondoggle. Building a barrier on that scale would

waste tax dollars, invite legal challenges, trample on property

rights, and create a standing monument to American intoler-

ance. It would do next to nothing to prevent illegal immigration

while siphoning funds from other measures—such as new tech-

nology and added staffing at high-traffic border crossings— that

would. There’s simply no justification for it.

In his desperation to get the wall built anyway, Trump has

attempted an end run around Congress’s power of the purse

by declaring a bogus national emergency in February and

now diverting funding that lawmakers explicitly appropriated

for other purposes. Congress should foreclose this avenue

once and for all by ensuring that the final version of the 2020

National Defense Authorization Act forbids the use of such

funds for border barrier construction. And Republicans in the

Senate, who’ve intermittently opposed this charade, should

now be able to unequivocally condemn it.

Defending the border shouldn’t come at the expense of

U.S. military readiness, let alone the welfare of the brave men

and women on whom it depends. <BW>

Israel holds elections on Sept. 17 to choose the

120 members of the Knesset. After the previous general

vote in April, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was

unable to form a governing coalition, forcing him into a

rerun against former military chief of staff Benny Gantz.

▶ Berlin is bracing for

thousands of protesters on

Sept. 20 at the landmark

Brandenburg Gate, where

they’ll demand more action

on climate protection.

▶ China unveils economic

data, including industrial

production and retail sales,

on Sept. 16. The world’s

second-largest economy is

struggling to reboot growth.

▶ On Sept. 20, Sotheby’s

holds an auction in a

Portuguese beach resort of

more than 130 vintage cars,

including a 1931 Bentley

Tourer valued at $773,000.

▶ The U.K. Labour Party

hosts its annual conference

on Sept. 21. Leader Jeremy

Corbyn wants a general

election to defeat Boris

Johnson’s Conservatives.

▶ The Swiss National

Bank’s rate decision comes

out on Sept. 19. Interest

is at -0.75%, a record low,

but some economists are

predicting another rate cut.

▶ Japan hosts the Rugby

World Cup from Sept. 20-

Nov. 2, the first time the

tournament will be held in

Asia. Twenty nations will

compete for the trophy.

▶ Here We Go Again

Bloomberg Businessweek September 16, 2019

6

◼ AGENDA

● DivertingPentagonconstructionmoneydefies

Congressandhurtsmilitaryreadiness

◼BLOOMBERGOPINION

WrittenbytheBloombergOpinioneditorialboard ILLUSTRATION

BY

BENEDIKT

RUGAR

KudostothePentagonforsheddingmorelightonanenduring

mysteryofDonaldTrump’sadministration:Whowillpayfora

wallalongthe2,000-mileU.S.borderwithMexico?

Theanswer:notMexico,asthepresidenthasfrequently

declaimed,but U.S.taxpayers—at the expenseof the

nation’sdefense.

TheU.S.DepartmentofDefenserecentlysentlawmakers

a listofabout$3.6billioninmilitaryconstructionprojects

thatwouldbedeferredtopayforTrump’swall.Thisdiver-

sioncomesontopofthe$601milliontheadministrationhas

redirectedfromtheTreasuryDepartment’sforfeiturefund

andanadditional$2.5billionhijackedfromthePentagon’s

otherpriorities.

Thisis worsethanjustbudgetgimmickry.Weighthevalue

ofthewallagainstsomeoftheprogramsTrumpis deferring

orpotentiallyeliminating:updatingthegroundinfrastruc-

turefortheMinutemanIIIballisticmissile,trainingand

equippingAfghansecurityforces,dismantlingchemical

weapons,orimprovingradarforairbornewarningplanes.

The$3.6billioninconstructionfundswouldhavegoneto

buildingorimprovingfacilitiessuchasa cyberoperations

centerinVirginia,small-arms firingrangesandcombat

TheWallIsBadDefense

trainingsitesina half-dozenstates,ammunitionstorage

bunkers,aircraftandvehiclehangars,andmilitaryclinics,as

wellasexpandingmissiledefenseinAlaska.Morethanhalf

ofthefundswouldhavehardenedaircraftshelters,extended

runways,andbuiltfuelstoragefacilitiesandschoolsformil-

itaryfamiliesatbasesoverseas.

Congresshasrightlyandrepeatedlyrefusedtoprovidemost

ofthe$13.3billionTrumphasrequestedfora wallthatprom-

isestobea boondoggle.Buildinga barrieronthatscalewould

wastetaxdollars,invitelegalchallenges,trampleonproperty

rights,andcreatea standingmonumenttoAmericanintoler-

ance.It woulddonexttonothingtopreventillegalimmigration

whilesiphoningfundsfromothermeasures—suchasnewtech-

nologyandaddedstaffingathigh-trafficbordercrossings—that

would. There’s simply no justification for it.

In his desperation to get the wall built anyway, Trump has

attempted an end run around Congress’s power of the purse

by declaring a bogus national emergency in February and

now diverting funding that lawmakers explicitly appropriated

for other purposes. Congress should foreclose this avenue

once and for all by ensuring that the final version of the 2020

National Defense Authorization Act forbids the use of such

funds for border barrier construction. And Republicans in the

Senate, who’ve intermittently opposed this charade, should

now be able to unequivocally condemn it.

Defending the border shouldn’t come at the expense of

U.S. military readiness, let alone the welfare of the brave men

and women on whom it depends. <BW>

IsraelholdselectionsonSept. 17 tochoosethe

120 membersoftheKnesset.Afterthepreviousgeneral

votein April,PrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahuwas

unabletoforma governingcoalition,forcinghimintoa

rerunagainstformermilitarychiefofstaffBennyGantz.

▶Berlinis bracingfor

thousandsofprotesterson

Sept. 20 atthelandmark

BrandenburgGate,where

they’lldemandmoreaction

onclimateprotection.

▶Chinaunveilseconomic

data,includingindustrial

productionandretailsales,

onSept.16.Theworld’s

second-largesteconomyis

strugglingtorebootgrowth.

▶OnSept.20,Sotheby’s

holdsanauctionin a

Portuguesebeachresortof

morethan 130 vintagecars,

includinga 1931Bentley

Tourervaluedat$773,000.

▶TheU.K.LabourParty

hostsitsannualconference

onSept.21.LeaderJeremy

Corbynwantsa general

electiontodefeatBoris

Johnson’sConservatives.

▶TheSwissNational

Bank’sratedecisioncomes

outonSept.19.Interest

is at-0.75%,a recordlow,

butsomeeconomistsare

predictinganotherratecut.

▶JapanhoststheRugby

WorldCupfromSept.20-

Nov.2, the first time the

tournament will be held in

Asia. Twenty nations will

compete for the trophy.

▶ Here We Go Again

Bloomberg Businessweek September 16, 2019