WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, released the following statement after voting in favor of the bipartisan resolution to terminate President Trump’s unlawful national emergency declaration. The president is using this declaration as a pretense to raid funding for projects supporting our military and military families to pay for the construction of his border wall, including $66.6 million in funds for projects in Maryland.

“I voted to end President Trump’s emergency declaration for the southern border and override his veto.  A bipartisan majority in both the House and Senate have rejected this wasteful expenditure of resources, which diverts funding that supports our service members and families.  In my own state of Maryland, the president’s actions have jeopardized the construction of a desperately needed new child development center at Joint Base Andrews, among other projects.  The president’s actions are an affront to the Constitution and separation of powers, our checks and balances, and congressional power of the purse to set appropriations levels.

“Congress needs to overturn this unlawful presidential declaration. Instead of trying to raid funds that have been designated for critical military construction and environmental projects, the president should work with Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform.” 

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