[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 15, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            BORDER SECURITY

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on the wall, yesterday the Washington 
Post reported that the Trump administration is planning to divert $7.2 
billion in funding from the Defense Department to fund his border wall 
with Mexico.
  Once again, the administration proposes stealing this funding from 
military families and counterdrug programs, bringing the total amount 
that the President has stolen--stolen--from our troops and our families 
to over $13 billion.
  The last time the President took money away from military 
construction, serious military projects suffered--schools in Kentucky, 
medical facilities in North Carolina, and hurricane recovery projects 
in Florida. Now the President wants to take even more money away from 
these projects for a border wall that he promised Mexico would pay for. 
This is another slap in the face to our Armed Forces, their families, 
and all of the places throughout America that have military bases that 
need new construction funding.
  Some Senate Democrats strongly oppose this action. We will continue 
to oppose the transfer of counterdrug funding for the wall, and we will 
force yet another vote to terminate the President's bogus national 
emergency declaration and return these much needed military 
construction funds back to the military, to the men and women in our 
Armed Forces, and to their families. Our Republican friends, hopefully, 
will join us in that vote.
  President Trump is once again subverting the will of Congress--once 
again thumbing his nose at the Constitution. The Founders gave Congress 
the power of the purse, not the President, and this Chamber has refused 
repeatedly to fund the President's wall. But whether it is to Federal 
appropriations, foreign policy, or our oversight authority, President 
Trump seems to have little regard for constraints placed on the 
Executive. He seems to view the Constitution as merely a nuisance, some 
inconvenient obstacle in the way of his personal and political 
interests. It is time for Democrats and Republicans to say: Enough.
  I would say one final thing to my conservative friends. The true 
foundation of conservatism is to minimize the powers of government, 
particularly the Executive, because they believe it provides more room 
for the individual. Where are our conservative voices when Donald 
Trump, in issue after issue--one of the most egregious being this 
border wall--takes the power away from Congress, away from the American 
people, and arrogates it onto his own personal wishes?
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. TOOMEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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