The Trump administration is pulling $3.6 billion from military readiness and construction projects to fund a border wall. A total of 127 military projects will be impacted by the decision, with two construction projects in Texas – bases in El Paso and San Antonio – diverting $38.5 million to fund 175 new miles of border wall.
The decision to pull funding from the Department of Defense comes after the president declared a national emergency in February. Sen. John Cornyn was among the 41 Republican senators who voted against ending Trump’s declaration, allowing the president to secure funding from the military. As a result of their vote, Texas and other states are having defense dollars diverted – a fact that has not been lost on Democrats.
“Because of their self-serving politics and their spineless inability to stand up to the White House, [GOP senators] failed a basic test of leadership and now military installations in their states are paying the price,” said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee spokesman Stewart Boss.
“Now, we find out that Cornyn’s reckless behavior has taken $38.5 million from projects aimed to improve the lives of military families and keep our troops safe,” Abhi Rahman, a spokesperson for the Texas Democratic Party told The Signal. “John Cornyn made his choice: Trump over our military families. Texans will make theirs in 2020, and Cornyn will get what he deserves.”
Photo: Robert Daemmrich Photography Inc/Corbis via Getty Images
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
