NEW DSCC ADS: GOP Senators Put Even More Military Funds at Risk After Losing Millions of Dollars for Their States

Senate Republicans allowed the president to raid money from home-state military construction projects, knowingly refuse to prevent another cash grab

Pentagon documents revealed that “lives would be put at risk” if many of these projects were not funded

Following Republican Senators’ vote to put even more funding for military construction projects across the country at risk, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is launching a new digital ad campaign today holding them accountable for failing to stand up for the military communities in their states.

The ads target Senators Martha McSally (AZ), Cory Gardner (CO), Thom Tillis (NC), John Cornyn (TX), Lindsey Graham (SC) and Mitch McConnell (KY) who voted today to uphold the president’s emergency declaration, even though it has already cost their states millions of dollars — including funds diverted from projects they once bragged about — and allows the president to continue to raid other project funds. Just days ago, the Washington Post reported that GOP officials are considering diverting even more funds away from military projects across the country.

The new ads will run on Facebook and target voters in states affected by military project funding cuts:

“Republican Senators paved the way for this harmful raid on critical military construction funding, and they just knowingly voted again to uphold this bogus emergency declaration and allow the Trump administration to keep diverting money away from their own states,” said DSCC spokesperson Stewart Boss. “Even as the White House threatens to claw away even more money from their states, these Senators are so craven that they voted to double down on enabling this reckless cash grab. Our new ad campaign will continue to hold these spineless Senators accountable for failing military communities and refusing to stand up for their states.”

Senate Republicans are “siding with the president even though he’s raiding money for military projects in their states” — forcing their constituents to pay the price for their spinelessness and leaving the door open for the administration to steal billions more from critical safety and preparedness projects. The U.S. Air Force has warned that diverting funds from these projects “poses various national security risks for the U.S. armed forces” and Pentagon documents revealed that “lives would be put at risk” if many of these projects were not funded. 

Read more about the consequences of Senate Republicans’ failure to fight for their states’ military installations:

• Washington Post: Trump officials considering plan to divert billions of dollars in additional funds for border barrier

• Washington Post: Pentagon has warned of dire outcomes if military projects canceled for wall don’t happen

• NBC News: Trump’s plan to pay for border wall with Air Force funds risks national security, report says

• POLITICO: Republicans support Trump’s wall even after he grabs military funds from their states
   
• CNBC: Trump’s move to put $3.6 billion in military funding toward the border wall could hurt GOP senators
   
• Wall Street Journal: Republicans Feel the Heat of Trump’s Military Fund Shifts
   
• MSNBC’s Morning Joe: States with GOP senators to lose out to Trump’s wall
   
• HuffPost: Vulnerable Republicans Squeezed By Trump’s Emergency Declaration Once Again
   
• HuffPost: GOP Senators Who Backed Trump’s Emergency Declaration Lose Military Funding
   
• Bloomberg News: Shift of Military Funds to Border Wall Hits States Across U.S.
   
• National Journal: Senators Face Tough Vote on Diverting Funds From Local Military Projects
   
• New York Times: “Mr. Gardner and Mr. Tillis both came under criticism in their home states for failing to protect military installations”
   
• Associated Press: “endangered Republicans Cory Gardner of Colorado and Martha McSally of Arizona supported Trump in the earlier vote in March but stand to each lose funding for a home state project”
   
• Daily Beast: “the administration will also divert plenty of dollars from projects in states with Republican representation, complicating politics for a handful of GOP senators with the most difficult re-election fights in 2020”
   
• Vox: “Senators in swing states like Colorado, Arizona, and North Carolina are the ones in the most precarious position as the vote approaches”

• The Hill: Hurricane-hit bases among those losing funds to Trump wall

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