For Immediate Release: January 16, 2019
Contact:
Jen Adler (DeFazio), 202-225-4472
Evan Hollander (Lowey), 202-225-3481
Jerry O’Donnell (Napolitano), 202-225-5256
Nicole Dailey Jones (Kaptur), 202-225-5411
Top Democrats Challenge President Trump’s Authority to Use Disaster Funding for Border Wall Construction
Washington, D.C. – Today, Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations Nita Lowey (D-NY), Chairwoman-designate of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), and Representative Grace F. Napolitano (D-CA), senior member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump challenging his statutory authority to use disaster funding for border wall construction. The letter was sent in response to recent reports that President Trump is considering declaring a national emergency and using a previously unused statutory authority to transfer unobligated disaster funding of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) away from communities that have suffered from the impacts of recent natural disasters, to a wasteful and ineffective border wall.
“We believe that any suggestion that you could use this statutory authority for this purpose is misinformed. Simply put, this authority does not authorize you to reallocate existing Corps funds – including, but not limited to, approximately $14 billion in disaster funds for communities impacted by the 2017 and 2018 hurricanes or other natural disasters – for the construction of the physical barrier. In addition, we oppose the reallocation of existing Corps funds from communities that are just starting to rebuild from the devastation they faced, and for which Congress provided emergency funds to help the lives and livelihoods of our citizens,” the letter states.
Many Democrats and Republicans have expressed strong opposition for any plan to take away vital reconstruction funds from communities impacted by recent natural disasters.
Full text of the letter can be found here.