Special to the
Opelika Observer
Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is cautioning the administration against following through with its proposal to cut or delay funding for Alabama military projects in order to pay for a wall on the Southern border.
Earlier this week, the Pentagon sent a 20-page list to Congress of military construction projects that are at risk of being cut or delayed in order to free up funding to pay for the wall. Several Alabama priorities were on the list, including $5.2 million for Anniston Army Depot to build a weapons maintenance shop, $38 million for a training support facility at Fort Rucker and two Maxwell Air Force Base projects: a $15.5 million Judge Advocate General (JAG) school expansion and an $18 million air traffic control tower.
In a letter to Patrick Shanahan, Acting Secretary of the Department of Defense, Senator Jones said that he will oppose any delay or cut to Alabama military projects in order to pay for the wall.
“I will be perfectly clear here: there are no circumstances under which it would be acceptable or appropriate,” Senator Jones wrote. “These projects are critical to the national security and to the state of Alabama, and I will oppose every attempt to delay or otherwise negatively impact them in any way.”
Full text of the letter can be found at www.jones.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Sen%20Jones%20RE%20MilCon%20Funds%20(2).pdf.