Shaheen Statement on President Trump’s Plan to Divert Resources for U.S. Military & Opioid Response Efforts to Pay for Border Wall

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) issued the following statement in response to the President’s announcement that he’ll declare a national emergency to secure funding to construct additional border barriers along the United States’ southern border. To pay for the wall, the President will divert critical federal dollars away from the Pentagon that are used for its drug interdiction program and military construction budget.     

“In the midst of an opioid drug epidemic and national health emergency that’s claiming over 70,000 lives a year, President Trump is diverting money from drug interdiction and funding set aside for military construction projects, which could potentially include the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the New Hampshire National Guard, in order to erect a costly and ineffective border wall that he promised Mexico would pay for,” said Shaheen. “Our founding fathers enshrined in the Constitution a division of powers to prevent this type of power grab from a President. It’s now incumbent on Republicans in Congress to join with Democrats to stand up for the Constitution and for democracy. Considering the impact that diverting this funding could have on the Shipyard and other New Hampshire priorities, I will formally call on the Trump administration to not draw resources from projects and grants for our state.”