TUCSON—Yesterday, the Trump Administration announced it would steal $3.5 billion in military construction funds already appropriated by Congress to fund President Trump’s border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. The money will come from 127 military projects that have yet to be announced by the Department of Defense.

“With this authoritarian power grab and plunder of military accounts, Trump continues with his quest to build his monument to his racist policies along the Southern border,” said Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva. “The only national emergency is Trump’s narcissism.”

Rep. Grijalva has repeatedly condemned the unconstitutional actions of the Trump Administration to declare a national emergency to build the border wall and steal money from the Department of Defense to fund it. In April 2019, he urged Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey to include language in the FY2020 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill to prohibit the transfer of funds from other military projects to fund border wall construction.

“Trump’s border wall will be a stain on the beautiful landscapes and vibrant cultures that make up the borderlands of Southern Arizona,” continued Rep. Grijalva. “I will continue working in Congress to vehemently oppose any efforts by Trump to construct his divisive wall that will divide families, recklessly endanger precious desert ecosystems, and militarize border communities.”

Border wall construction has already begun in the Organ Pipe National Monument in Southern Arizona, and these latest funds will likely be used to construct walls on military lands—including the Barry M. Goldwater Bombing Range in Rep. Grijalva’s district.

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