Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is 100 percent behind President Trump's decision to declare a national emergency on the U.S.-Mexico border crisis, as he's made clear on Twitter.
I stand firmly behind President Trump’s decision to use executive powers to build the wall-barriers we desperately need.https://t.co/E2OvdT7pNo
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) February 15, 2019
The senator reiterated how much of a priority is it to get the border crisis under control in an interview with CBS's Margaret Brennan over the weekend. It takes precedence, he said, over the classroom.
GRAHAM ON EMERGENCY FUNDING: "I would say it's better for the middle school kids in Kentucky to have a secure border," @LindseyGrahamSC tells @margbrennan of a project that could be cut to fund wall construction https://t.co/1MfAhCXwzM pic.twitter.com/eHW4wYVjPn
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) February 17, 2019
"I would say it's better for the middle school kids in Kentucky to have a secure border," Graham reasoned. "We'll get them the school we need. But right now we've got a national emergency on our hands. Opioid addiction is going through the roof in this country. Thousands of Americans died last year and are dying this year because we can't control the flow of drugs into this country and all of it's coming across the border."
Some educators, especially those in Kentucky, weren't thrilled with Sen. Graham's priority list.
I am a teacher at a middle school in Kentucky. We don't want or need the freaking wall!! We need less testing, more books and pencils, and mental healthcare!!
— Judy Dehr (@JudyDehr) February 18, 2019
Many GOP leaders seem to be proudly embracing the role of the anti-education, anti-child party.
— Kansas Families for Education (@FundOurSchools) February 17, 2019
The real national emergency is the underfunding of our public school systems around the country. https://t.co/5XxZYmkxAX
Others said it's a "shame" Graham apparently doesn't care about kids.
What a shame that Graham doesn't value the education of those middle schoolers!
— Totalmente puertorriqueña #NoPayNoWork (@tesstea) February 18, 2019
Graham: Bummer school kids in Kentucky won't get a new school. But at least there's a Wall in Texas https://t.co/dhCNQ4WhFQ via @TPM
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) February 17, 2019
In declaring a national emergency, Trump found $8 billion from government agencies to use to build the border wall. Yet, he is already facing legal challenges, including from a group of 16 states, who filed their lawsuit in California. The president said he wasn't surprised, and perhaps the Golden State would be better served focusing on their failed high speed rail project first.