House Asks Judge To Block Use Of Defense Funds For Trump’s Border Wall

Thousands of migrants crossed the border, many groups of Central American migrants were seen, crossing the border, the border patrol said that on average 1,000 migrants cross the border in the city Juarez the Paso Te... Thousands of migrants crossed the border, many groups of Central American migrants were seen, crossing the border, the border patrol said that on average 1,000 migrants cross the border in the city Juarez the Paso Texas on 22 April 2019. (Photo by David Peinado/NurPhoto via Getty Images) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The House of Representatives asked a federal judge to block Defense Department funding from being funneled into the construction of President Trump’s border wall, Politico was first to report.

House lawyers sent a formal request to U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden to keep $6 billion in the Defense Department and anti-drug effort accounts where Congress delegated them.

“Defendants are moving quickly to construct the border wall, and they have awarded contracts against funds that Congress did not appropriate for that purpose. And more contracts are coming soon,” House General Counsel Doug Letter wrote in the motion. “Once made, these unconstitutional expenditures cannot be undone, and the grave institutional injury inflicted on the House cannot be remedied.”

Since issuing a national emergency at the border, Trump has been orchestrating the use of military funds to award contracts to build and repair portions of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, the President’s pet project. The move was blocked by both the House and the Senate, but vetoed by Trump.

Read the motion below:

Latest News
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Associate Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: