Heck decries potential cuts of state military projects for wall

‘(Trump) is diverting funds from real operational priorities in order to build an unneeded wall,’ says Rep. Denny Heck

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on Monday confirmed that four military projects in Washington state could be cut in order to fund the border wall sought by President Donald Trump. Some $3.6 billion in military construction projects approved and appropriated by Congress but not yet contracted out by the Pentagon could be delayed, if not cancelled, unless Congress overrides Trump’s veto attempting to preserve the “emergency” declaration necessary to divert the funds.

The projects in Washington include a refueling facility needed for training at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, replacement facilities for the Northwestern Joint Regional Correctional Facility (NWJRCF), a fire station required by the Army Corp of Engineers, and a Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility at Yakima Training Center.

“If the President gets his way, vital military programs right here at home will be on the chopping block,” said Rep. Denny Heck (D-Wash.) “Just last year, the DoD stated that the proposed fueling station at JBLM was vital to the training and readiness of Army helicopter pilots yet the president is now threatening to take away the funding needed to complete it.”

“This is why I voted against the president’s emergency declaration,” Heck said. “He is diverting funds from real operational priorities in order to build an unneeded wall that he couldn’t convince Congress to authorize. The readiness and the well-being of our armed forces is non-negotiable.”

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Feb. 26 to overturn Trump’s emergency declaration and the Senate followed suit on March 14, but Trump vetoed that measure on March 15.