Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) introduced a bill Friday with a fresh idea on how to build the border wall as President Trump and House Republicans face gridlock in appropriating the funds for it. Black's bill would raise funds for the wall along the southern border with Mexico through crowdfunding. She explained to Townhall Monday how her proposal would work.
The bill essentially sets up “a dedicated trust fund for people who are interested in securing our country and building the wall,” Black explained.
She argued that building the wall is something that “the American people want and agree with the president that we should do" and this trust fund simply provides “an opportunity for people to show that this is what they want to have happen.”
“Congress has every authority still to be able to fund the wall,” she emphasized, “but this would be the American people’s voice being heard.” Black added that, in her experience, “both within my district and throughout my state that there is a big will to do that and this would give us the opportunity.”
She said she’s heard from many people that say they think the wall needs to get built, don’t understand why Congress isn’t funding it, and have voiced willingness to fund the wall themselves.
Black also pointed to historical precedent to argue for employing the method of crowdfunding to build the wall.
“The Washington Monument was completed by crowdfunding,” she said, “and if you go to the Washington Monument you see the plaques that are on the wall there, you can see that there were various groups that rose up to say we want to complete something they considered to be important at that time in history for the United States and this is no different.”
Black is optimistic about how her colleagues will receive her proposal as many of them “have expressed the desire to get this wall built.”
As to President Trump’s showdown with Democrats over funding for the wall that may come in November, Black argues there would still be a place for the public’s trust fund for the wall.
“I don’t say that there won’t be at some point in time some more appropriations for the wall,” she said, “I think that the President has built his case and hopefully in future funding there will be more funding for the wall but why not have multiple sources so we can have the wall done faster?”