Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee introduced a bill that would limit the Department of Defense’s ability to shift funds away from construction projects. The bill is in response to the department stating they will begin to use over $1 billion to go toward a border wall, as a result of President Trump declaring a national emergency.
Introduced by Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif, and Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., the bill would cap national emergency military construction authority at $250 million per emergency and tighten the ability to waive other provisions of the law in carrying out the projects.
Any money that does not go toward an emergency, the bill states it will require more Congressional approval and oversight. Construction on any nonemergency project will not begin until after a waiting period and Congress is notified.
Proud to introduce my bill w/ @RepAdamSmith & @RepGaramendi to stop the President from stealing money from troops, counternarcotics, and critical infrastructure to build his dumb wall. I urge every Member of Congress to support @HASCDemocrats as we fight for the constitution. pic.twitter.com/tvtiLKYCjy
— Ruben Gallego (@RepRubenGallego) May 15, 2019
“I’ve said it before, in no uncertain terms, the Trump Administration’s repeated efforts to divert previously appropriated funds from the Department of Defense to finance his misguided border wall is an affront to military readiness,” Smith said. “While Congress has for years granted the Department the flexibility to carry out military construction projects that support troops responding to a national emergency, such as after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the President’s threat to use military construction funding to build portions of the border wall would be an inappropriate use of that authority.”
Smith said the bill would allow for more transparency so taxpayers can see what the department is doing with their money.
