GOP senators object to White House delaying home-state projects for border wall
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GOP Utah Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney pushed back on Wednesday after the administration informed them it would be diverting money from Utah-based military projects to help pay for the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Romney said he was “disappointed” by the decision, noting that he and Lee had voiced “significant concerns” to the administration about pulling money away from military construction projects in Utah.
“Funding the border wall is an important priority, and the Executive Branch should use the appropriate channels in Congress, rather than divert already appropriated funding away from military construction projects and therefore undermining military readiness,” he said.
{mosads}Lee added that “Congress has been ceding far too much powers to the executive branch for decades and it is far past time for Congress to restore the proper balance of power between the three branches.”
The two GOP senators were informed that a total of $54 million was being taken from Utah projects, with the administration expected to request that the funding be “back filled” in the upcoming fiscal year 2020 appropriations process.
The money being directed from projects in Utah is part of the larger $3.6 billion the administration is shifting from military construction projects to the border wall as part of the emergency declaration Trump declared earlier this year. The Pentagon began notifying lawmakers this week if their district or state would be affected.
The decision has sparked fierce pushback this week, mainly from Democrats who are having money pulled away from home district and state projects.
Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.), whose state has a significant military presence, lashed out at the administration earlier Wednesday after they were informed that roughly $77 million would be taken from military construction projects in their state.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said that the Senate should “immediately pass a resolution of disapproval to block this unconstitutional action” once lawmakers return next week from the August recess.
But the GOP reaction has been more muted after Congress failed to override Trump’s veto earlier this year of a resolution to nix his emergency declaration. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has pledged that Democrats will force another vote on the emergency declaration this fall.
Lee added on Wednesday that the decision to divert military construction funding was the latest example of why Congress should pass his legislation to limit a president’s emergency powers.
Under legislation introduced earlier this year by Lee, emergency declarations would automatically expire after 30 days unless Congress voted to continue them.
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