Some Republican senators are expressing concerns over President Donald Trump’s plans to divert billions in military construction money to help pay for the wall along the southern border, The Hill is reporting.
Under Trump’s national emergency order, about $3.6 billion slated for military construction, will be redirected and used as part of the $8 billion plan for the border wall.
GOP concern is being raised as the Senate gets set to vote on a resolution this month that would block Trump’s emergency declaration.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, noted the irony of Trump’s plan to use the military construction money.
“We had military leaders come before us and make the case for each of these projects as being vital to our national security and it seems to me very shortsighted and harmful to our national security … for that money to be used for other purposes,” she said.
Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., is urging Trump to use money from the Pentagon’s counter-drug accounts rather than military construction money, The Hill said.
“Using funds already approved by Congress avoids taking money from military construction projects specifically approved by Congress for such activities as military barracks and hospitals,” he said.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., who is expected to back Trump, added: “I think it’s clear that people want to see the final documentation and they want to know the specific statutory basis.”
The House voted Tuesday to upend Trump’s declaration. And Senate opponents of the declaration are close to having enough votes to rebuff the president. But Trump has promised to veto the effort to thwart him.
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