Spending Bill Lets Trump Fund His Own Private Army
The budget extension lawmakers must vote on by Friday evening to avoid a government shutdown will, as written, give President Trump the power to secretly reshuffle money the administration spends on intelligence programs for the next month — sweeping authority that is unprecedented since the CIA was established.
Lawmakers are scrambling to figure out why the short-term budget measure muzzles a long-standing law preventing the administration from spending money on intelligence activities Congress has not specifically authorized, or in exigent circumstances, Congress has not at least been notified of. The measure renders that law — Section 504 of the 1947 National Security Act — “notwithstanding,” or null and void, until the budget extension expires in a month. Normally, short-term budget extensions make specific reference to the applicability of the law for the duration of the measure.
This is truly scary stuff- usually the things wild conspiracy theories are made of until one realizes that Congress too is concerned enough with the language giving Trump such sweeping authority they have actually started doing their jobs and questioning the the bill. Eric Prince and his goon private army or fascists based in the UAE would welcome such funding with open arms and open bank accounts. And Congress would simply grant away even more of our democracy with this simple oversight.