Members of Congress from Florida said they were not aware of any Florida-specific disaster relief projects set to lose money to found President Donald Trump’s proposed border wall.
President Donald Trump’s latest proposal to pay for a border wall by declaring a national emergency and taking money from disaster relief projects — potentially including money doled out after Hurricanes Irma and Maria — could include over $800 million doled out to Florida last year for disaster relief.
Several media outlets reported Thursday that Trump was eying a portion of $13.9 billion given to the Army Corps of Engineers by Congress for disaster relief projects. That amount includes an $802 million outlay to Florida, the largest chunk of which was $514 million to repair the Herbert Hoover Dike around Lake Okeechobee.
Four members of Congress from Florida said they were not aware of any Florida-specific projects that could lose money to pay for the wall. Instead, money for projects in Puerto Rico and California could be used to give Trump the $5.7 billion he’s been demanding for a wall, according to members of Congress from California.
“The [disaster] funds are flowing to Florida, and they’re flowing to our district,” said Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, a member of the House committee responsible for federal spending who represents part of the Naples area that saw heavy damage during Irma. “I would argue that it’s never fast enough, but the funds are flowing in our district. They’re going to all the cities, they’re going to all the municipalities. Florida’s got the money.”
Diaz-Balart, who is critical of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s refusal to include $5.7 billion in wall money in the House spending bills, said the impasse should be solved legislatively rather than Trump declaring a national emergency to find money for the wall. Such a move would bypass Congress’ power of the purse and likely set off litigation.
Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, who also serves on the spending committee that distributed billions in relief funds, said Democrats and Republicans will not allow any money to be diverted for a wall from other projects approved by Congress.
