WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense; Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee; and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs today released the following statement after the U.S. Department of Defense sent Congress a list of military construction projects that could be delayed in order to pay for President Donald Trump’s southwest border wall:

“Earlier today, the Department of Defense provided Congress with a list of projects which may be impacted by the President’s desire to divert military funding to pay for his border wall. The Department claims that it will exempt housing, barracks, and dormitories – and in the process quietly acknowledges that more than $10 billion of other top priorities that the military and their families have requested over the last several years is on the chopping block in order to placate the President. This madness will not stop until more of our Republican colleagues are willing to put the military ahead of party politics.”

Get The Latest News!

Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.

Article continues after sponsor message

Earlier this month, Durbin, Leahy, and Schatz led a letter to acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan where they called on the Defense Department to provide Congress with a list of military projects it intends to defund to pay for President Trump’s border wall.

Prefer RiverBender on Google
Your community. Your stories. From school milestones to decisions at city hall, local stories deserve coverage. Subscribe to help RiverBender keep telling them.
Support Local Journalism
Copyright 2026 Riverbender.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

 

More like this:

Duckworth, Durbin, Senate Democrats Call On Hegseth To Report Total Costs Of Iran War
Sep 18, 2026
Durbin, Grassley Urge Defense Secretary Hegseth, Secretary Of State Rubio To Swiftly Obligate Congressionally Appropriated Baltic Security Initiative
Oct 25, 2026
Duckworth Seeks Answers On Trump’s Low-Altitude White House Flyover
5 days ago
Duckworth, Durbin Issued Statement Alongside Their Colleagues On President Trump And President Xi’s Summit In Washington
Sep 28, 2026
Duckworth, Durbin Demand FAA Pay Air Traffic Controllers Congressionally-Approved Raise
Sep 8, 2026