Almost $63 million in federal funding slated to build a middle school at the Fort Campbell United States Army Installation is being diverted to fund construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.
CBS News reported Wednesday that U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed off on transferring $3.6 billion dollars in military construction funds, including funds to construct a Fort Campbell middle school, to instead build 175 miles of southern border barriers.
U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-KY, in a statement said he supports the Fort Campbell Middle School project but that “baseless opposition” from Democrats blocked necessary funds for the border wall. He said the transferred funds might delay military construction projects.
A spokesperson for U.S. Senate Majority Mitch McConnell also blamed Democrats for the funding shortfall, saying that McConnell was committed to protecting funding for the school. U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, a Democrat representing Nashville, in a statement called the move an illegal “funding grab” and said “troops and their families deserve better”.
A U.S. Department of Defense official told CBS News the department will try to ask for more funds to offset potential delays on construction projects.
(This report first ran on WKMS.org.)
Liam Niemeyer
Liam Niemeyer is a reporter for the Ohio Valley Resource covering agriculture and infrastructure in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia and also serves Assistant News Director at WKMS. He has reported for public radio stations across the country from Appalachia to Alaska, most recently as a reporter for WOUB Public Media in Athens, Ohio. He is a recent alumnus of Ohio University and enjoys playing tenor saxophone in various jazz groups.
