Rep @SteveKingIA suggests reallocating money from Planned Parenthood and food stamp program for border wall https://t.co/uvgtTAF1MB
— New Day (@NewDay) July 12, 2017
Rep. Steve King appeared on CNN’s New Day Wednesday morning to offer a fresh idea for funding President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.6 billion wall on the southern border: pay for it with funds from Planned Parenthood and food stamp programs.
The Republican congressman, known for doubling down on comments that are pretty solidly racist, started the interview by reminding America of the definition of a wall: “A wall is not a fence, it’s not a virtual, it’s not a balloon in the air, it’s not a drone. It’s a wall. It’s a concrete wall, and it’s 2,000 miles of concrete wall.”
“And it’s 1.6 billion dollars,” CNN’s Alisyn Camerota pointed out. “Are you comfortable, congressman, with providing $1.6 billion of taxpayer money — not from Mexico — to build that wall.”
“Absolutely yes, and more,” a defiant King replied. “And I’d throw another five billion on the pile, and I would find half of a billion dollars of that right out of Planned Parenthood’s budget.”
“And the rest of it could come out of food stamps and the entitlements that are being spread out for people that haven’t worked in three generations,” he continued. “We’ve got to put America back to work, this administration will do it.”
An incredulous Camerota pressed King on whether he wanted to take food away from those on the lowest rung of the safety net to build a $1.6 billion border wall.
King argued that enforcing immigration laws would bring ten million jobs in America, before noting that not everyone on the SNAP food stamp program requires it.
[image via screengrab]
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