Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King said Sunday deploying U.S. troops to the southern border may cost up to $200 million — a wasted expenditure that “doesn’t seem to be necessary.”
In an interview on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” King said he hopes the Senate’s Armed Forces Committee will look into the deployment of more than 5,000 troops, and how much it’s costing.
“Estimates range from 75 million to a couple of hundred million dollars for something which by all accounts doesn't seem to be necessary,” he said.
“We have a very strong border security in terms of Customs and Border Patrol,” King added. “Did we need these extra troops? Was there any indication? And … what are the rules of engagement? What is the cost and how long is it going to be there? …If you're talking about 200 million dollars, that's a lot of money if the justification isn't there.”
King added that the old “posse comitatus” law that prohibits U.S. troops from engaging in law enforcement “gets gray when you get to the border.”
“If indeed there was an invasion, which there isn't, clearly we can defend ourselves,” he said, adding: “But using troops in a border situation with asylum seekers is … not appropriate.”
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