Congressman Lamborn on National Emergency Declaration

Washington, DC - Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Ranking Member of the Readiness Subcommittee, made the following statement on the president's decision to declare a national emergency to provide additional resources for border security:

"Each of the past five presidents has sent troops and military resources to our southern border, so what President Trump is doing is nothing new. This reflects the decades-long failure of both parties to provide adequate resources to secure our border with Mexico. President Trump was elected in no small part because he spoke to the frustrations of the majority of Americans who support better border security and control of our national sovereignty. I appreciate the President's dogged efforts to affect these policies, and denounce in the strongest terms the intransigence of the Democratic leadership in Congress who now oppose measures they supported for years just to score political points against President Trump.

"That said, I strongly encourage the President not to go through with diverting funds from military construction accounts to border security. Our defense infrastructure was one of the areas hit hardest by the Obama-era defense cuts, and pulling from those accounts will have serious consequences for our military readiness. One of the most significant achievements of the past two years has been rebuilding our military strength and getting the Department of Defense back on track to prepare for modern threats. As such, I hope the President will pursue other options."