Napolitano's Statement on Trump Considering Using Army Corps Disaster Recovery Money to Pay for Border Wall

(WASHINGTON, DC) Today, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano (CA-32) released the following statement on reports President Trump is considering using unspent U.S. Army Corps of Engineers natural disaster recovery money for California, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Texas, and Florida, among others, to pay for a wall along the southwest border:

"Congress provided billions of dollars to help people rebuild their lives and prepare them for future disasters, not a slush fund to be raided by this President to fulfill his campaign promise. Americans have seen their lives upended, their homes and towns destroyed, and havoc wreaked on their local economies. Our government cannot abandon them in their hour of need.

"Abnormal storm events and wildfires have shown the susceptibility of communities, and we must do everything we can to mitigate past damage while strengthening our resiliency for the future. The unspent money that President Trump may be targeting must go directly toward its intended purpose: making critical flood control improvements to protect lives and property from the growing number of severe storms across the country, helping communities rebuild from devastating wildfires and hurricanes, and protecting the quality and availability of clean water for families and farms."

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