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WASHINGTON (AP) — If one believes the back-of-the-envelope estimates by Republican leaders on Capitol Hill, President Donald Trump's border wall is going to cost between $12 billion and $15 billion. That's a lot of money, even though it's just a minute fraction of a $4 trillion federal budget. Here are a few examples of what the government could do with $15 billion:
—Fund the Environmental Protection Agency for almost two years.
—Buy about 150 top-of-the-line F-35 fighter jets.
—Fund medical research at the National Institutes of Health for six months
—Pay for overseas military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for three months.
—Finance the IRS for eight months.
—Cover the government's interest costs on the national debt for about three weeks.
—Provide food stamps to 45 million people for about two months.
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