Veterans Blast Trump Hypocrisy for Celebrating LWCF while Proposing to Slash Funding

WASHINGTON – Today,on the heels of proposing to gut funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the FY 2020 budget, President Trump and Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt held a White House ceremony to celebrate the permanent reauthorization of this bipartisan program and the signing of the sweeping public lands package (S.47) into law.

VVF Western States Director & Iraq War Veteran, Garett Reppenhagen, stated the following regarding this shocking contradiction from the administration:

“President Trump and Acting Interior Secretary Bernhardt have renewed their efforts to dismantle the Land and Water Conservation Fund despite Congress passing this historic legislation by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. Holding a ceremony to celebrate the permanent reauthorization of the LWCF while proposing to gut its funding represents the height of hypocrisy and is a slap in the face to our veterans who have fought tirelessly to save this crucial program. Congress must act without hesitation to right this wrong and fully fund America’s most important conservation program.”