Reed Statement on Release of List of At-Risk Military Projects That Could be Cut to Pay for Trump’s Wall
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, admonished the Trump Administration after Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan released a long-awaited list of which authorized military construction projects are subject to being cancelled, reduced, or raided in order to reallocate $3.6 billion to pay for President Trump’s border wall.
The list was provided to Congress after numerous needless delays and outlines a menu of military construction projects that could be delayed or cancelled in order to divert funds to President Trump’s proposed wall.
Senator Reed, a West Point graduate and former Army Ranger, issued the following statement:
“We know President Trump wants to take money from our national security accounts to pay for his wall, and now we have a list of some of the projects and needed base repairs that could be derailed or put on the chopping block as a result.
“What President Trump is doing is a slap in the face to our military that makes our border and the country less secure. He is planning to take funds from real, effective operational priorities and needed projects and divert them to his vanity wall. That may help shore up his political base, but it could come at the expense of our military bases and the men and women of our Armed Forces who rely on them.
“A bipartisan majority of Congress went on record in voting to rebuke this ill-conceived idea. Now that members of Congress can see the potential impact this proposal could have on projects in their home states, I hope they will take that into consideration before the vote to override the President’s veto.”
A PDF of the list is attached.
