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Higgins: Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station spared, for now, from cuts to fund border wall

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Wed, Sep 4th 2019 05:20 pm

Higgins objected to plan putting $14M NFARS project at risk

On Wednesday, the Trump administration announced the Pentagon would divert $3.6 billion in military construction projects to pay for the border wall. Congressman Brian Higgins, D-NY-26, has learned the $14 million training and fitness center at the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station (NFARS) is not on the list of cuts at this time.

Months ago, Higgins expressed his opposition to President Donald Trump’s move to cut military construction projects to pay for a wall, saying, “The president’s unnecessary declaration represents an overt overreach of power, and the outstanding men and women who dedicate themselves to service will be left paying the price.”

Higgins reiterated his concern today. He said, “While Niagara Falls has been spared from the chopping block for now, projects that support military operations and readiness across the country and the world will be impacted. This is no way to support our troops.”

The Military Construction Codification Act (10 U.S.C. § 2808) authorizes the administration to reallocate funds for construction projects during a national emergency. Higgins’ camp noted it’s supposed to be used if a project is “necessary to support” a “use of the armed forces” and qualifies as a “military construction project.”

On Feb. 26, Higgins was among a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives voting to overturn the president’s emergency declaration. In a bipartisan vote, the Senate also voted to block the National Emergency Act on March 14.

Trump vetoed the bills approved by Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate on March 15.

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