Freshman U.S. Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán vowed Monday to push back on any budget efforts by President Donald Trump to cut security at the nation’s largest ports.
Barragan and a delegation of Democratic members of the House Homeland Security Committee toured the Los Angeles and Long Beach port complex Monday, using the opportunity to pan the administration’s budget and a planned wall along the Mexican border.
“If you take away funding (from the ports), you are going to be more vulnerable,” said Barragan, a San Pedro Democrat in town during a congressional recess. Her concerns were echoed by the committee’s ranking Democrat, Mississippi Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, who said he would fight “tooth and nail” to make sure funding for ports is protected. …
Barragan also jabbed at the administration’s promise to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall. The White House has asked for a $2.6 billion down payment to pay for the wall. Barragan drew a direct connection to resources at the port.
“To take funding away (from port security) to build a border wall, that’s irresponsible and that’s the nice way of putting it,” she said.
The twin Los Angeles-Long Beach port complex comprises the nation’s largest and busiest seaport, handling nearly 40 percent of all imported goods Americans consume. READ MORE