After struggling throughout his Presidency to secure border wall funding in Congress, President Trump is considering moving up to $7.2 billion in military construction funds to help deliver on one of his key campaign promises the Border Wall.

While there is strong support for a border wall in the Republican party, Trump’s plan to take funds from the military, effectively overruling Congress, is not popular in the Senate. This latest piece of news could cause tension in the party, at a time when unity is needed.

Senator Richard Shelby Opposes Taking Money from the Military

Richard Shelby, the senior Republican Senator from Alabama, told the media this week that “I wish they’d get the money somewhere else, instead of defense.” However, Shelby quickly clarified that “I do support building the wall. And I support funding money directly to help the President.”

Funding has been a contentious issue both in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Congress voted last year to overturn a Presidential emergency order that would have moved $3.6 billion from the military construction budget to pay for wall installation and upgrades.

Even Senators that support the wall have rebuked Trump’s efforts to divert money from the military. Those who represent states that receive direct benefits for military families are more likely to vote against a new emergency order for funding.

Trump will ultimately have the power to veto any pushback he does get from Congress.

Border Wall, What Makes the Situation Different in 2020?

Despite great effort, Trump has been unsuccessful in delivering the fortified border wall that was promised in his run to office. Democrats in Congress are firmly against funding the wall in the yearly budget. Republicans are not fully united in their support.

Trump needs to complete the wall, or at last show that no effort is being spared. The election is right around the corner and failing on a key promise could be detrimental. While Trump had initially planned to fund the wall through tariffs that would come from Mexico, this has proved to be impossible, and taking money from the military won’t resonate with all of Trump’s base.

Is it reasonable for Trump to take funds from the military to improve national security and curb the immigration problem? Opinions are likely to be divided, even within party lines.