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Funding for Ohio Military Projects Could be Diverted to Border Wall

Camp Ravenna, now known as Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center, is slated to receive $7.4 million for an Automated Multipurpose Machine Gun Range.
Camp Ravenna, now known as Camp James A. Garfield Joint Military Training Center, is slated to receive $7.4 million for an Automated Multipurpose Machine Gun Range.

Ohio’s congressional delegation is concerned that money designated for military projects here could be diverted to the border wall if President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration stands.

Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Niles) lists three at-risk projects totaling $77 million. They include a $7.4 million dollar machine gun range at Camp Garfield(formerly Camp Ravenna) in Ravenna and a nearly $9 million dollar main gate upgrade at the Youngstown Air Reserve Station.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) says there are others as well.Sen. Brown says the legality of the President's declaration is in question.

“Some of that might be Wright Patterson Air Force Base, some of it might be veterans facilities, who knows? I mean he will take money from where he takes the money. We think it’s all an illegal act, but he has stacked the Supreme Court with ideologues that he appointed, at least the two new people, so I have great concern about this.”

Wright-Pat is supposed to get $61 million this year for an expansion of its National Air and Space Intelligence Center

The House this week passed a resolution to terminate the national emergency. The Senate has to vote within 18 days. But even if Senators side with the House, the President has said he’ll veto the legislation. And there are not likely enough votes to override a veto. 

Copyright 2019 WKSU

A Northeast Ohio native, Sarah Taylor graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio where she worked at her first NPR station, WMUB. She began her professional career at WCKY-AM in Cincinnati and spent two decades in television news, the bulk of them at WKBN in Youngstown (as Sarah Eisler). For the past three years, Sarah has taught a variety of courses in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Kent State, where she is also pursuing a Master’s degree. Sarah and her husband Scott, have two children. They live in Tallmadge.