Congress increases the defense budget and refuses to allocate funds for the construction of the wall

Congress increases the defense budget and refuses to allocate funds for the construction of the wall with Mexico


News Agency pratha 42  01/05/2017


Negotiators in the US Congress agreed to increase the defense budget, as President Donald Trump demanded his request but refused to finance the construction of the wall on the border with Mexico.

It revealed the democratic opposition and the majority of the Republic last night as a result of complex negotiations lasted weeks to fund the federal state until the end of the fiscal year 2017, until 30 September.

It is expected to adopt the House and Senate this text before the end of the week, avoids the country at the last minute paralysis in the federal departments that funding ends at midnight Friday.

The bill provides annual expenses worth 1,163 billion dollars less almost one-third of the total federal budget, while the remaining two-thirds (social expenses, retirement ...) do not need to be approved by Congress.

Of this amount defense got 598.5, an increase of 25 billion or 4.5% compared with 2016 and 3.8% compared with Barack Obama's request last year.

In March, Donald Trump asked thirty billion increase compared with the current budget, and give him parliamentarians with half the amount of 2.5 billion conditional offer Trump proposed a full strategy to defeat the organization "Daesh".

But Democrats who vote will be key in the Senate, they were victorious in the construction of the wall on the border with Mexico, who oppose him. It will not act any money for the launch of the workshop.

Instead, it will be allocated $ 1.5 billion to invest in technologies to enhance border security and infrastructure and tactical operations update. Employing any elements of the immigration services were not allowed to speed up evictions.

President of the Democratic minority in the Senate, Chuck Schumer declared that "this text ensures that our taxes will not be used to finance a wall without interest, and increases funding for the programs rely on the middle class, such as medical research, education and infrastructure."

The defense budget includes new planes, helicopters and unmanned aircraft and ships and to increase the salaries of US soldiers Al1,3 million B2,1% assistance to Ukraine $ 150 million of equipment.

The Republican chairman of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan "America will be stronger and more secure thanks to this budget," which is "in line with the pledge of President Trump, the reconstruction of our military for the 21st century and to strengthen our borders to protect our country."

The Democrats managed to avoid massive cuts intended by Donald Trump in some sectors.

And decreased foreign assistance and foreign ministry work slightly compared to the budget and with a symbolic Alkhvs 28% demanded by the President in March.

In parallel, it saved by the Environmental Protection Agency's new director and a skeptical climate issues Scott Pruett position with a reduced budget and 1% would apply especially research and regulation programs.

But the exclusion of any financing for the construction of the wall on the southern border form a real defeat of the US president since this was the basic promises.

Last week, Donald Trump said, "We have all the time necessary", stressing that the wall will be built before the end of his presidential term. Currently, there is a section of just more than three thousand kilometers from the border fence it.

The White House said the planning of the project could start and lure launched offers. The real battle of financing will be in the next budget any 2018 budget year, which begins on the first of October.

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