National Senate Democrats released a report Monday showing that President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration could divert $112 million in funding away from military projects in Ohio.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, the cuts could impact a $61 million plan for a new building for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Other cuts could include $8.8 million in funding just to relocate the main gate at Youngstown Air Reserve Station.
Projects like a $7.4 million machine gun range at Camp James A. Garfield, and a $15 million hangar at Toledo Express Airport were also on the list. Morgan Rako, spokeswoman for Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH-10), noted that the “list does not indicate which projects specifically will have delayed funding, if any.”
She also pointed out that Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal actually includes $121 million in funding for the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base intelligence center.
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), however, claimed that Trump is “hurting military missions by taking money away from Ohio military installations to pay for his vanity project.”
“President Trump claims he wants to help workers and support our military, yet his actions tell a different story,” Brown said in a recent Twitter rant, criticizing Trump for his handling of the General Motors Lordstown plant closure.
While the President promises one thing, he continues to pursue policies that betray Ohio servicemembers, veterans, families and workers.
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) March 20, 2019
“The president attacks Sen. McCain, a war hero and a patriot. The president failed to stand up for Lordstown as GM closed its plant and laid off thousands of workers,” Brown said. “While the president promises one thing, he continues to pursue policies that betray Ohio service-members, veterans, families and workers.”
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) told The Dispatch that Trump’s “fake national emergency is jeopardizing critical military projects in Ohio.”
“Not only is the president undermining Congress and the Constitution, his actions make America and our service members less secure and less prepared to deal with threats at home and abroad,” Ryan said. “We should be ensuring our service members have the resources they need to do their jobs—taking already appropriated funding does the opposite.”
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Anthony Gockowski is managing editor of Battleground State News, The Ohio Star, and The Minnesota Sun. Follow Anthony on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Donald Trump” by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. CC BY 2.0.
