Courtney Bourgoin, courtney.bourgoin@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC— Today, the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration plans to transfer funds from several buckets of the military budget— including 401k and pension retirement funds for military troops and veterans— for construction of border walls. The move comes after the administration was granted a stay by the Supreme Court in a legal battle with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Sierra Club and Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) over the President’s national emergency declaration that seeks to use Pentagon money for construction of a border wall.
In response, Rob Vessels, Senior Campaign Representative for the Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors campaign released the following statement:
“When it comes to Trump getting his wall and attacking migrants, nothing— no funds, no resources, no check nor balance— is off limits. Trump’s move to steal retirement from service members— people who dedicate their lives to defend this country— makes clear that his hatred of migrants overpowers his care for Americans. The Sierra Club will keep fighting this senseless and cruel agenda. We are committed to fighting this border wall because it divides communities, destroys natural places, wildlife habitat and— as we’ve seen in the most extreme way— steals resources from where they are desperately needed.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.