Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R., S.C.) offered a handwritten amendment Thursday afternoon aimed at slashing funding for a key U.S. military medical facility serving troops stationed in Djibouti, where many of these forces are carrying out sensitive counter-terrorism efforts, according to a copy of the amendment obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.
Mulvaney, in what sources described as an unusual move, hand-wrote language that sought to strip $37.4 million in funding for the medical facility at Camp Lemonnier from a massive Overseas Contingency Operations bill, which funds U.S. military efforts abroad.
The removal of these funds would have shuttered the Djibouti-based medical facility, which currently provides emergency medical treatment, surgical needs, and primary medical and dental care to all U.S. troops serving in that operational area.
Troops serving in this region are tasked with carrying out some of the United States’s most sensitive counter-terrorism operations, prompting questions about Mulvaney’s bid to strip the facility of funding.
"We have thousands of troops at Camp Lemonnier, who operate in one of the most dangerous parts of the world against lethal terrorists," said one senior congressional aide apprised of the amendment. "One of their most important roles is rescue of U.S. personnel and medical evacuation of injured troops. To eliminate vital pieces of that infrastructure and undercut our troops in harms way, is striking."
Mulvaney’s amendment overwhelmingly failed to pass the House, with 51 members voting in favor and 371 voting against, according to the roll call.
Mulvaney's office did not respond to a Free Beacon request for comment.
Camp Lemonnier supports around 4,000 personnel, including U.S. forces and contractors.
"Camp Lemonnier provides, operates and sustains superior service in support of combat readiness and security of ships, aircraft, detachments and personnel for regional and combatant command requirements; and enables operations in the Horn of Africa while fostering positive U.S.-African Nation relations. Camp Lemonnier is a U.S. Navy led installation operated by Commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia via U.S. Naval Forces Africa and Commander, Navy Installations Command," according to the Navy.
_
Update 4:35 P.M.: Following publication of this article, Rep. Mulvaney said he wrote the amendment because Camp Lemonnier "isn't war related. It should be in the base budget."