"Mexico will pay for the wall." A constitutional lesson.

The dumbfrickery surrounding this issue compelled me to make this post.

TL;DR (or if you already know): Congress by law appropriates all money for federal government expenditures. The wall expenditures will be paid for by taxing remittances to Mexico, Mexican tariffs and/or cutting federal aid to Mexico per DJT's proposals.



In order for the executive branch (that the office of the presidency for those of you that need to brush up on your civics) to spend money that money must be appropriated by congress.

Here is the law; the part of the constitution that governs this situation:

quote:

---

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

ARTICLE I, SECTION 9, CLAUSE 7

---

Who makes law in this country? Congress. Congress is charged with the responsibility of making law and part of that duty per the clause I just quoted is outlining who can spend the money, when they can spend the money, what they can spend the money on, where they can spend the money and how the money can be spent. Therefore congress has "the power of the purse".

This is a very basic constitutional function since this country's founding.

Where does that money come from?

It comes from revenues which includes income taxes, corporate taxes, dividend taxes, tariffs, excise taxes, permit fees, and many other numerous revenue sources by different names.

It also comes from selling bonds, specifically treasury bonds. Bonds are sold to make up the difference when federal spending is more than the revenue into the Treasury. That's called a deficit. Annual deficits add to the debt. When the federal government spend less than revenues to the Treasury over the fiscal year that's called a surplus. Surpluses reduce the federal debt.

Therefore congress must appropriate the funding for the wall. IT IS THE LAW. Congress could tell Trump no however that is likely not going to happen given the fact that congress is majority GOP and if they did say no the political blow-back would be devastating to GOP congressional members in 2018. So it can be anticipated that the GOP congress will pass appropriation laws to fund and pay for the wall.

What is likely to happen is congress will pass legislation to initially fund the wall then after DJT negotiates with Mexico congress will pass legislation to raise the revenue to pay for the wall from Mexico either by taxing remittances, imposing tariffs or removing foreign aid (to Mexico).

That's how Mexico pays for the wall.