Schumer, Pelosi Joint Statement on Trump’s Latest Attempt to Steal Military Funding for Wasteful, Ineffective Wall

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued this statement on the Trump Administration’s reprogramming of National Guard and military procurement funding for border wall construction:

“Congress has repeatedly voted in a bipartisan way to refuse funding the President’s wasteful, ineffective border wall.  This latest effort to steal Congressionally-appropriated military funding undermines our national security and the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution.  

“President Trump and his Administration have spent months trying to take critical resources away from our Armed Forces.  Clearly, it wasn’t enough for President Trump to raid funds for military families so now he is taking away additional funds for equipment, ships, fighter jets and cargo planes for our troops.  This latest theft of nearly $4 billion in military funds represents another of President Trump’s broken promises to our servicemembers, especially our brave sailors who he assured would receive funding for urgently needed, state-of-the-art ships.  This plan steals $900 million in appropriated Navy shipbuilding funds, along with billions more for equipment and weapons systems that our servicemembers use to keep America safe.

“Congress, not the President, has the power of the purse – a power that cannot be nullified so the President can fulfill an outrageous campaign promise.”

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