House Appropriations Committee approves $1.6 billion for 'physical barrier construction'
The Trump administration scored another victory Wednesday as the House Appropriations Committee approved $1.6 billion to be allocated toward construction of a southern border wall.
The bill met the White House’s funding request in full and provides for a “physical barrier construction along the Southern border – including bollards and levee improvements,” according to a press release Tuesday ahead of the bill’s approval.
“Keeping Americans safe by protecting our homeland is a top priority. This funding bill provides the resources to begin building a wall along our southern border, enhance our existing border security infrastructure, hire more border patrol agents, and fund detention operations,” said House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Carter.
“Additionally, this bill will increase funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, support grants in cases of emergency and natural disaster, and provide critical resources to protect our cyber networks.”
The construction of a wall between the US and Mexico has long been a central Trump administration promise, and the president celebrated the news in a tweet calling the committee’s decision a “Big WIN for building the wall.”