Dear Mr. Secretary:
The Committee has received and reviewed the requested reprogramming action, FY 19-01RA, submitted to the Committee on March 25, 2019, which proposes the transfer of $1 billion from fiscal year 2019 Military Personnel, Army and Army Reserve accounts to the Drug Interdiction and Counter Drug Activities account for the purposes of erecting a wall on the U.S. southern border.
The Committee denies the request.
The Defense Appropriations Act of 2019 was enacted on Sept. 28, 2018, and inherent in the enactment is the specific allocation of appropriations and the execution of funds as called for under the Constitution between the Congress and the Executive Branch. Article 1 states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law". The reprogramming transmitted by the Department denies the Congress and the Committee on Appropriations those stated Constitutional prerogatives; these funds were neither requested nor appropriated for the activities described in the reprogramming. With this unilateral action, the historic and unprecedented comity that has existed between the Committee and the Department has been breached.
Sincerely,
/s/
Peter J. Visclosky
Chairman
Defense Subcommittee
Source: U.S. Department of HCA
