OBJECTS TO USE OF FUNDS MARKED FOR ALASKA
Sen. Lisa Murkowski was one of 11 senators who voted today to end the president’s national emergency that he declared on Feb. 15, 2019, effectively ending his ability to fund the wall on the southern border of the United States by using monies already appropriated for other projects.
The 11 Republicans who joined Democrats in the vote were:
- Lamar Alexander (R-TN)
- Roy Blunt (R-MO)
- Susan Collins (R-ME)
- Mike Lee (R-UT)
- Jerry Moran (R-KS)
- Rand Paul (R-KY)
- Rob Portman (R-OH)
- Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
- Mitt Romney (R-UT)
- Pat Toomey (R-PA)
- Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Senate Joint Resolution 54, sponsored by created by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM), Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Susan Collins (R-ME), terminates Trump’s national emergency declaration on the southern border and his ability to divert funding already appropriated for military construction and other projects to help fund the wall.
Murkowski explained her vote this way:
“My vote today is about ensuring we respect the separation and balance of powers that are fundamental to our democracy. The U.S. Constitution distinctly gives the legislative branch the power to appropriate. From the outset, I noted my opposition to this emergency declaration and what that meant, including my concern over diverting funds already appropriated for prioritized military construction projects. The administration’s recent announcement regarding the diversion of funds not only impacts important military construction projects in Alaska, but also many others across the nation,” said Senator Murkowski.
“This is not about whether or not I support the President’s very legitimate concerns over border security, because I do. This is about the administration overstepping Constitutional authority, forcing Congress to relinquish power that is fundamentally ours. We have and will continue working to address border security—by securing all our borders. But, in the interest of ensuring America can trust the system of checks and balances we have in place, we must do so through the appropriate channels,” she said.
Sen. Dan Sullivan voted against the resolution, which passed 54-41, with five not voting. The funds that were being withdrawn from Alaska military projects totaled $102 million, but Sullivan has a good working relationship with the president, and it wasn’t certain those funds would actually be diverted.
