Why it matters: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is already $1 billion over budget by one estimate, with more than three months left in the fiscal year. That’s alarmed lawmakers in both parties — and raised the possibility of Trump clawing funds from agencies to feed ICE.
It’s clear that ICE is morally bankrupt, but I thought that its restructuring into a secret police force would be financed by these absurd import tariffs, which are so broad in scope that they are basically tantamount to a massive VAT increase.
It’s cause he can’t dictate that. Tariffs are just income to pay bills, congress sets budgets and even they aren’t too happy with a budget that’s increased spending. So it’s even likely his increases to ICE DHS that he requested won’t make it through.
He could try to siphon money from elsewhere, but that’d just get caught up in the courts (and he’d probably loose as congress owns the purse).
The Republicans control both houses of Congress. But the usual rules don’t seem to apply anymore. Isn’t Trump currently starting a war without the approval of Congress?
But the orange clown has set them way too high; the rates he’s imposed are just as likely to cause way fewer imports, and therefore not nearly as much gov revenue as he thinks
Yes, it still amounts to billions in additional tax revenue, which is of course paid for by US citizens rather than the manufacturing countries – but this sum is probably already reserved for the planned tax cuts for the super-rich.
The plan is presumably to finance Trump’s private army through additional cuts in healthcare, environmental protection, education, and all other areas that are counterproductive to fascism.
I’m not a US citizen, but I think this country is screwed.