Border wall: Trump eyes taking money from California flood projects to pay costs
Rep.
The project would build four miles of new levees around
"This bothers the hell out of me," said
The
Garamendi, a former
"Each of these projects are essential for the preservation of life and property," Garamendi said.
The New York Times also reported late Thursday that the
The idea didn't sit well with Trump's fellow
Garamendi said
"There's a political dynamic in play here," Garamendi said.
Trump, after saying all week he was considering declaring a national emergency to try and push through a border wall without congressional approval, seemed to back off Friday, but left the door open.
"What we're not looking to do right now is national emergency," Trump said Friday afternoon, flanked by law enforcement officials at a
But that did little to comfort
Santos noted that the
The new earthen levees, which are planned to be 15 feet high, replacing old levees that are roughly 5 to 10 feet high, is part of ongoing restoration efforts to convert former Cargill industrial salt ponds in the South Bay back to tidal marshes for fish and wildlife.
"That project is vital for
"We've been working on this since 2002," he said. "This area is 15 feet below sea level. They had a huge flood in the 1980s.
Schuchat said that his agency is exploring every option to keep the money, including speeding up the process to sign contracts with construction companies, because once contracts are signed, it becomes much more difficult to take away the funding.
The other projects included long-planned work to reduce flood risk in the
With no sign of compromise in the works despite mounting pressure on both sides to reopen the government, Trump has repeatedly suggested he could declare an emergency at the border and use that authority to divert unspent funds for a border wall.
Congressional
"
------
California Water Projects eyed for Border Wall Funding
American
Santa Ana River Mainstem:
South San Francisco Shoreline:
Source:
------
___
(c)2019 the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.)
Visit the San Jose Mercury News (San Jose, Calif.) at www.mercurynews.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
EDITORIAL: PG&E’s crimes and negligence demand action
San Diego accelerates pension debt payoff with aggressive new policies
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News