Colorado governor says Trump’s emergency declaration would hurt state’s military preparedness, economy

The governor of Colorado is warning that if President Trump’s emergency declaration to build barriers at the southern border is successful, the plan could divert badly needed defense funding.

“When you look at the military construction funds, which have been allocated, Colorado faces upwards of about 100 million that would be diverted to the wall if these efforts are legally successful,” Gov. Jared Polis (D) told Hill.TV’s Krystal Ball on Tuesday.

Polis said that diverting funds would have a direct impact on military preparedness because it would mean less money for the state’s special unit training center.

“If the Congress does succeed in diverting this money away, it’ll actually reduce military preparedness because it’ll hit the military construction money,” he said.

Colorado is among sixteen states suing to block Trump’s national emergency declaration. The federal lawsuit, which was mostly brought by states with Democratic governors, seeks to prevent the president from moving forward on his declaration while the case plays out in the courts.

Polis issued a statement last week following the announcement, saying Trump’s declaration would not only hurt the state’s military preparedness but also the local economy. To make matters worse, he said, the funds are going towards a cause that most Coloradans don’t support.

“This is work done my Colorado contractors that’ll go away and of course a majority of … people in our state don’t even support the wall in the first place, they think it’s a bad idea,” Polis told Hill.TV.

The House is set to vote Tuesday on a resolution to block President Trump’s declaration. The measure is expected to pass in the Democratic-controlled chamber, and stands a good chance in the GOP-controlled Senate.

So far, three Republican senators — Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) have indicated that they would support the measure, meaning one more would ensure it reaches Trump’s desk.

Senate Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), meanwhile, said Tuesday he remains unsure about whether Trump’s emergency declaration to build border barriers is legal, but said the resolution is scheduled for a vote on the Senate floor before the planned recess in mid-March.

–Tess Bonn