Wasserman Schultz pushes to deny money for military bases named after Confederates
Like many Democrats and some Republicans, Broward Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz wants to rename military bases that currently bear the names of Confederate generals.
But Wasserman Schultz has more leverage on that issue than the average lawmaker: Her position overseeing billions of dollars in military construction funds allows her to force the issue in Congress.
Wasserman Schultz plans to include language in the upcoming military construction and Veterans Affairs’ funding bill that would prohibit funds from being spent at any military base named for a Confederate soldier unless a process to rename the installation is complete or under way. Wasserman Schultz chairs the congressional subcommittee responsible for drafting the legislation.
“I don’t see any reason why our brave service members should serve on bases named after traitors,” Wasserman Schultz said in an interview. “It’s way past time for change and we’re using all the tools we have in our toolbox to make sure this happens.”
Renaming the bases, which are all located in former Confederate states, has gained widespread support in Congress amid nationwide protests after the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in May. The installations in question include the largest U.S. military base — Fort Bragg in North Carolina — along with Fort Hood in Texas and Fort Benning in Georgia, which are among the five largest military bases in the country.
President Donald Trump has vowed to veto any legislation that includes language to rename military bases, tweeting his opposition to a plan by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren to rename bases as part of the Senate’s annual military budget proposal last week.
But Warren’s amendment has support from some Republicans, and the overall military funding bill is expected to pass with a veto-proof majority.
“The [National Defense Authorization Act] is so important and there are so many important elements in it that I don’t believe that alone should be a reason to even vote against it or veto it,” Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told Politico regarding Trump’s veto threat.
The bill Wasserman Schultz is planning to use as a vehicle to pass the legislation on renaming military bases is likely to trigger more opposition than the one being pushed by Warren. House Republicans will likely vote against Wasserman Schultz’s military construction and Veterans’ Affairs funding bill, but not solely because they oppose renaming the bases. The annual funding process in the House is controlled by the majority party and funding bills typically pass along party lines.
Wasserman Schultz’s bill will likely pass the House of Representatives by the end of July.
“The tool that we have in the appropriations process is we can bar funding and condition the funding and only allow it to be released if that condition is met,” Wasserman Schultz said. “That’s what we’re doing here.“
Wasserman Schultz said the funding bill includes “unprecedented investments” to rebuild crumbling military infrastructure and help veterans obtain quality healthcare during the coronavirus pandemic, and she pointed out that Trump has proposed cutting funds for military bases to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border. She said using every legislative maneuver in the House and Senate to rename bases lessens the chance that the president will be able to override Congress.
“You take multiple different approaches because the executive branch isn’t necessarily compliant no matter who is president,” Wasserman Schultz said. “In this case, the president has been particularly egregious in using his power and ignoring congressional authority.”
