Congress of the United States Washington, BE 20515 February 27, 2019 The Honorable Patrick M. Shanahan Acting Secretary U.S. Department of Defense 1000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301 Dear Acting Secretary Shanahan: As you know, on February 15th, the President declared a national emergency to finance a wall along our Southern border by reallocating certain Department of Defense (DOD) funds. As members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation we write to inquire about the impact of this declaration, and specifically what dollars, if any, will be taken from appropriated Pennsylvania projects to fund border wall construction. We are concerned about the consequences to communities and projects in our Commonwealth by reallocating funds meant to advance critical national security priorities. The choice to use the national emergency authorities for this purpose contravenes Congressional funding authority — an essential checks and balances power given to Congress in the Constitution — and circumvents the appropriations process. Congress voted, on a bipartisan basis, and the President signed into law the FY19 military construction (MILCON) appropriations bill in September 2018, In a time of dysfunction and partisanship in Washington, it was a moment of cooperation for a ‘greater good: ensuring full funding for the infrastructure our military and their families need to serve our nation effectively and efficiently. There was similar bipartisan agreement on MILCON spending priorities in the previous two years. Now, these previously appropriated funds are at risk of being reallocated to support the President's desire to build a border wall. Those of us who have served in Congress in past years have worked with this and previous Administrations on reprogramming requests that allow the Executive Branch, with the blessing of Congress, to move money from one account (o another when priorities change. This approach has worked: the majority of times that DOD has used emergency authority since 2001 has been for truly unexpected construction requirements in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Djibouti. Reports indicate that DOD considers funding for MILCON projects that have been appropriated but not obligated as eligible to be reprogrammed for border wall construction. In short, funding has been approved by Congress, but not yet contracted or spent. Like many of our constituents, we seek clarity on the Department’s intent and are concerned that the Department has not yet. shared with Congress or the public a list of projects at risk of being defunded. ‘We ask that in your reply, you please include a list of all Pennsylvania MILCON projects that are considered “unobligated.” Further, we ask for confirmation that, as reported, only such “unobligated” projects are being considered for reallocation. Our constituents deserve a clear PRIeTED ON RECHELED PAPERexplanation of the tradeoffs the Administration is proposing. Additionally, we ask for an accounting of the MILCON backlog, including a list of future year’s projects in Pennsylvania and an assessment of the impact that further delays would have on training, readiness, and military family quality of life. ‘As we understand, potentially impacted projects in Pennsylvania include nearly $200 million in Congressionally appropriated funds for Air Force, Navy and National Guard: * $71,050,000 for the constriction of a Submarine Propulsor Manufacturing Support facility in Philadelphia for the Navy. The Philadelphia area ~ and Pennsylvania more broadly — is home to critical parts of our submarine industrial base. As the Department moves forward with the Columbia Class submarine development and manufacturing, a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for submarine propellers and propulsion systems is required. This investment will ensure the highest quality products are delivered for our new submarines on schedule. © $85,000,000 for Air Force Reserve construction projects in Pittsburgh. This funding is to help the 911" Air Wing, a cornerstone of the military presence in western Pennsylvania, convert from the smaller C-130 aircraft to the larger C-17s. This project is supporting construction and related jobs in the Pittsburgh area, The new mission associated with the larger aircraft is to provide strategic airlift of cargo and personnel in support of our servicemembers deployed overseas. A delay in this transition will mean a real loss of military readiness and good-paying jobs. $8,000,000 for a National Guard Project in Fort Indiantown Gap to replace an operations training facility and dining hall. The existing facilities are aging, which impacts the Pennsylvania National Guard’s ability to recruit and train effectively. 5 We are ready to work on a bipartisan basis to ensure that our nation’s borders and ports of entry are secure and that those men and women who work tirelessly every day to keep our nation safe have the tools and training they need. The President’s Budget Request is due to Congress in a matter of weeks. We will give it due consideration and engage in good faith with the ‘Administration throughout the appropriations process. We ask that you advise the President of our concems as you and your team brief him on the negative effects of reallocating MILCON and other Department of Defense funds in support of his desire for a wall on our southern border. This is an ill-advised approach that will have serious consequences for our military readiness and local economies and set a dangerous precedent for ‘Administrative overreach into Congressional powers. We thank you for your attention to our questions and ask for your prompt response. Sincerely,Ort. Castes, Spy. Meceerns bin 3 Robert Madeleine Dean Chiy Houlahan U.S. Senator USS. Representative U.S. Representative Brendan Boyle Matt Cartwright < USS. Representative USS. Representative dps dl U.S. Representative U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick Conor Lamb U.S. Representative U.S. Representative Mary Gay Scanlon Susan Wild U.S. Representative U.S. Representative