Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2019
Floor Speech
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Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 2 minutes.
Mr. Chairman, I don't get to say this often, but I agree with Senator Ted Cruz. Yesterday, along with members of the Texas congressional delegation, he wrote to President Trump. Part of his letter read: `` . . . we are strongly opposed to using funds appropriated by Congress for disaster relief and mitigation for Texas for any unintended purpose.''
I agree. Disaster funding should go where Congress intended: to the sites of actual disasters, to communities dealing with things like hurricanes, mudslides, wildfires and floods.
That is what my amendment is all about. It states that none of the funds in this disaster supplemental for the Army Corps of Engineers or Department of Homeland Security may be used to plan, develop, or construct the President's border wall. It is that simple.
If someone like me, a progressive Member of the House, can see eye to eye with Senator Ted Cruz on this, one of the biggest cheerleaders for the President's border wall, then this amendment should pass with broad bipartisan support.
It isn't about whether or not you support building a border wall; it is about whether we support a President moving disaster funding away from where Congress said it should go, away from communities that are rebuilding. These people aren't interested in building a wall. They need to rebuild their homes.
So today, we are talking about President Trump and the wall. But, Mr. Chairman, if we don't take a strong stand against subverting the will of Congress this time, then it opens the door for the next President, Democrat or Republican, to use disaster funding as a piggy bank for their priority, whatever it may be.
I think the border wall would be ineffective and a waste of taxpayer dollars, but you can disagree with me and still support my amendment, because we all should agree that no President should be redirecting funding away from where Congress said it should go.
The supplemental provides $12 billion in disaster relief for communities trying to rebuild. Let's make sure every penny actually goes to disaster relief.
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Mr. McGOVERN. Madam Chair, I want to thank Representatives Velazquez, Hastings, Torres, Jackson Lee, Jayapal, Pocan, and Escobar for cosponsoring this amendment with me.
This is not about whether or not you believe a border wall is necessary or not. I don't believe it is. Some of my friends on the other side believe it is. But when the President said he was going to declare an emergency and dip into emergency funds, disaster funds, that are dedicated to helping people deal with real disasters to pay for this wall, that set off alarm bells here.
So no matter what side you are on on this border wall issue, you should support this amendment, because this President, and no President, should dip into disaster relief money to use it for something different than what Congress intended.
The people who this money is aimed at helping are not interested in building a wall; they are interested in rebuilding their homes.
Let us not put these moneys in jeopardy. Let's have a bipartisan moment when we all can agree that the disaster money ought to be disaster money, period.
Madam Chair, I urge a strong vote in favor of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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