Valley Central by Sandra Sanchez 7/6/2020
LAREDO, Texas (Border Report) — Negotiations in Congress began today among members of the House Appropriations Committee for exemptions to fiscal 2021 border wall funding along the Southwest border, which one South Texas congressman hopes to expand to include a Laredo orphanage.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas — vice chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and the only Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee from the Southwest border — told Border Report that as lawmakers return from the July Fourth holiday break today “the work really begins†as they start to discuss funding priorities — as well as where not to appropriate money — for the next fiscal budget.
Cuellar said he wants to maintain current exemptions from any border wall funds, as well as add exemptions to the fiscal 2021 budget. Currently, Congress has prohibited the Trump Administration from using funds to build a border wall at: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, La Lomita Chapel, the National Butterfly Center and the SpaceX Texas Launch Facility, which are all within South Texas. Funds also may not be used for border wall construction on “historic cemeteries†— a provision that Cuellar had added during 2020.
More:
https://www.valleycentral.com/news/exemption-negotiations-begin-today-in-congress-for-border-wall-carve-outs/
