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Diverting billions of dollars more from defense programs toward a border wall with Mexico risks dealing a larger blow to military readiness, House Democrats have warned Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

"Much as the impact from sequestration compounded in each subsequent year, a decision by the administration to once more cancel military construction projects ... will cause a lasting detriment to our ability to build and sustain readiness, meet the security challenges we face and to honor our promises to our armed forces and their families," 31 lawmakers warn in a letter to Esper.

The Washington Post reported last week that President Donald Trump plans to shift another $7.2 billion toward border wall construction this year — split between military construction projects and counterdrug accounts. That's on top of $6.1 billion in Pentagon money Trump tapped last year.

Potentially $13.3 billion in military money being raided for the southern border, the lawmakers noted, would dwarf the “acquisition cost of a Ford-class aircraft carrier, the entire research and development cost for the Columbia class of submarines, or the $10.6 billion to purchase 98 F-35s in FY2020."

They requested Esper provide a litany of information should the administration divert the money, including a list of impacted projects, a plan for money transferred in fiscal year 2019 and how diverting the money would impact the flow of narcotics on the southern border.

The letter was organized by Democratc Reps. Anthony Brown of Maryland, Gil Cisneros of California, Veronica Escobar of Texas and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey.