Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI) is slated to introduce legislation Thursday that would block President Trump from using federal funding to pay for a wall along the Mexican border.
“I am not in favor of the wall, but if there is a wall, then I do not want the United States of America to pay for the wall,” Moore told CBS News, saying that American taxpayers should not be burdened by Trump’s campaign promise.
The legislation is called the “No Taxpayer Funding for the Wall Act,” which would prohibit any federal funding, including funding already set aside for that purpose, from going to the wall. The bill has reportedly already gained the support of three dozen Democrats.
Moore is also hoping to gain support from Republicans who are worried about the cost of the border wall.
“My bill gives amazing opportunities, I think, to people like Jim Jordan to opt out of building the wall,” she said, referring to the Republican lawmaker from Ohio. “I’m trying to mobilize some interest in my bill from deficit hawks.”
Other Democrats have scrutinized Trump’s plan to build a border wall, especially over its potential cost.
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asking the agency to brief the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on how it plans to pay for the border wall by March 13, the Hill reported.
“I request that DHS provide a briefing for the committee regarding DHS’ acquisition process and funding for this requirement,” McCaskill wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, also asking for a formal estimate of the wall’s cost.
The Trump administration is considering a plan that would cut funding to the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in order to pay for the border wall and other methods of immigration enforcement, the Washington Post reported.
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