Debra Messing blasts US Army as ‘disgusting and irresponsible’ after DOD announces April 2019 contracts

Actress Debra Messing blasted the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army after finding out that the Army awarded $976 million in contracts to support border wall construction.

She said what?

In a Twitter response to the news that the Department of Defense awarded $976 million in contracts for border wall construction, Messing said, "This is disgusting and irresponsible."

The article revealed that the Department of Defense released $976 million from its counter-narcotics fund. According to Task & Purpose, a large part of the fund "is made up of money that the Army did not spend for personnel costs because it failed to meet its recruiting goals, defense officials said."

The DOD said in a release that border construction work will be performed in and around Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and Yuma, Arizona. Expected construction completion dates are October 2020 and September 2020, respectively.

Anything else?

In March, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan authorized up to $1 billion to build a portion of border wall in the Yuma, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, areas after President Donald Trump announced a declaration of national emergency in February.

At the time, the Department of Defense said, "These funds will be used to support [the Homeland Security Department's] request to build 57 miles of 18-foot-high pedestrian fencing, constructing and improving roads, and installing lighting within the Yuma and El Paso Sectors of the border."

A spokesman for the Department of Defense told The Hill that "30-foot bollard fencing and a five-foot anti-climb plate" would be constructed and installed in the Santa Teresa, New Mexico, contract. The spokesperson added that for the Yuma, Arizona, contract, "18-foot bollard fencing and a five-foot anti-climb plate" would be constructed and installed.

President Trump previously threatened to shut down the U.S.-Mexico border to trade in an effort to persuade Mexico into cracking down on illegal immigration via U.S.-Mexico entry points.