Senator Thomas J. Umberg Announces Resolution Condemning President Trump’s Misuse of Defense and Military Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 27, 2019

CONTACT: Jackie.Koenig@sen.ca.gov, (916) 651-4034

(Sacramento, CA) – Senator Thomas J. Umberg (D-Santa Ana) is gearing up for battle with President Trump and his ego-driven decision to gut the counter–drug and military construction budgets. “In my nearly forty years of combined service as the nation’s Deputy Drug Czar, federal prosecutor and military officer, I could not have imagined that our President would cut counter-drug and defense funding with so little regard for its impact on the American people and those in uniform,” said Senator Umberg. “We cannot stand by without calling upon the entire bi-partisan California Congressional Delegation to stop this ill-conceived and unilateral action before it does real harm to Californians, our women and men in uniform, and our national security. 

Ten days ago, President Donald Trump declared an undefined national emergency in an attempt to revert and repurpose funds already approved by Congress to combat drug cartels and nations acting as drug cartels -- such as North Korea.   The President and his officials have identified $8 billion in funding for this purpose, $7.5 billion of which is proposed to come from military funding and counter-drug efforts.

Senator Umberg continued, “The President should be ashamed of himself for ignoring the experts in his own administration who crafted our nation’s counter-drug strategy and budget, while at the same time expecting the men and women serving our country to endure prolonged experiences with unsafe housing, inadequate schools, and less-than-modern medical facilities. I will be introducing a measure in the coming days to call upon the entire California Congressional delegation to unite in opposition to this preposterous plan.”

Umberg noted that with a proposal like this on the board, the military would be required to sequester those funds until a final determination had been made – effectively halting any operations and projects currently in the pipeline.  Those projects in California include removing black mold and lead paint from military housing, improving schools on military bases, and upgrading hospitals and medical facilities that treat wounded soldiers.

While a specific list of projects has not yet been released by the Administration, funds are likely to hinder those approved by Congress just last year as well, including a new vehicle maintenance shop at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, drydock repairs at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, F-35 hangar improvements at Luke AFB in Arizona, and new family housing builds in Korea, Italy, and Wisconsin.

In regards to counter-narcotics funding, the Defense Department's programs are, and have historically been, used for international interdiction efforts in places like Peru, Bolivia, West Africa, Mexico, and Colombia. In recent years, it has been used to stem the increasing tide of fentanyl being imported from China.  Those efforts are conducted on the front end of the nation's ever-increasing drug and opioid epidemics – before they even reach our country’s borders.

“As a former Deputy Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under another President, I know that cutting funds from national and international Counter-Drug Programs and military spending IS NOT the way to keep our country safer.”

Senator Umberg expects to introduce his Senate Joint Resolution in the coming days.  Draft language for the resolution is attached, though final language may change slightly.

Senator Thomas Umberg represents the 34th Senate District which includes the cities of Anaheim, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Garden Grove, Long Beach, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Orange, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, and Westminster. Umberg is a retired U.S. Army Colonel, and former federal prosecutor. He and  his wife, Brigadier General Robin Umberg, USA (ret.), live in Orange County.