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A2 UP FRONT
Saturday 16 February 2019
Trump tests presidential power, declares emergency at border

By JONATHAN LEMIRE, emergency powers, but
COLLEEN LONG and ALAN not to pay for projects that
FRAM Congress wouldn't support.
Associated Press And Trump himself sent
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defi- mixed messages as to its
ant in the wake of a stinging necessity. He wrote in the
budget defeat, President official proclamation that
Donald Trump on Friday "Because of the gravity of
declared a national emer- the current emergency
gency at the U.S.-Mexico situation, it is necessary for
border, moving to secure the Armed Forces to pro-
more money for his long- vide additional support to
promised wall by exercising address the crisis."
a broad interpretation of But he seemed to tip his
his presidential powers that hand at a political motive
is certain to draw stiff legal when he said during the
challenges. news conference, "I didn't
In his emergency procla- need to do this, but I'd rath-
mation, Trump painted a er do it much faster," an
dark picture of the border admission certain to be cit-
as "a major entry point for ed during legal challenges.
criminals, gang members, Republicans had opposed
and illicit narcotics" and Trump declaring a national
one that threatens "core President Donald Trump walks out to begin speaking at an event in the Rose Garden at the White emergency, repeatedly
national security interests." House to declare a national emergency in order to build a wall along the southern border, Friday, warning that it would set a
Overall, though, illegal Feb. 15, 2019 in Washington. bad precedent and divide
border crossings are down Associated Press the party when Democrats
from a high of 1.6 million in put it up for a vote. While
2000. and ensuring that the presi- flew in the face of years of challenging his emergency many in the GOP on Friday
His declaration instantly dent and Democrats will GOP complaints that Presi- powers declaration. fell in line behind Trump's
transformed a contentious continue fighting over the dent Barack Obama had "By the president's very own decision, others remain op-
policy fight into a foun- border wall in Congress, over-reached in his use of admission in the Rose Gar- posed.
dational dispute over the the courts and on the cam- executive authority. den, there is no national "I don't believe a national
separation of powers en- paign trail. Trump signed the declara- emergency. He just grew emergency declaration is
shrined in the Constitution, It triggered outrage from tion to justify diverting bil- impatient and frustrated the solution," Sen Thom Tillis,
spurring talk of a congres- Democrats, unease among lions of federal dollars from with Congress, and decid- R-N.C., said in a statement.
sional vote to block Trump some Republicans and military construction and ed to move along his prom- "It wouldn't provide enough
other purposes after Con- ise for a border wall 'faster,'" funding to adequately se-
gress approved only a frac- said ACLU Executive Direc- cure our borders, it would
tion of the money he had tor Anthony Romero. Some likely get tied up in litiga-
demanded. The standoff Democratic state attorneys tion, and most concerning
over border funding had general have also threat- is that it would create a
led to the longest govern- ened to go to court over new precedent that a left-
ment shutdown in history. To the decision. wing president would un-
avoid another shutdown, The text of Trump's procla- doubtedly utilize to imple-
Trump reluctantly signed mation cited an increase ment their radical policy
a funding bill Friday that in families coming across agenda while bypassing
included just $1.4 billion of the border and an inabil- the authority of Congress."
the $5.7 billion he had de- ity to detain families during House Judiciary Com-
manded for the wall. deportation proceedings mittee Chairman Jerrold
Trump announced the dec- — not drugs or violence as Nadler called for a hearing
laration in a free-wheeling, the president outlined in his on the "serious constitution-
50-minute Rose Garden press conference. The top al and statutory issues" the
news conference that in- two Democrats in Congress declaration raises,
cluded a long preamble said they'd use "every rem- Congressional votes in
about his administration's edy available" to oppose coming weeks on a reso-
accomplishments. He joust- what they cast as an un- lution blocking the emer-
ed with reporters and deliv- lawful measure. gency declaration were
ered a sing-song prediction "The President's actions highly likely, but the timing
about the fate of the order clearly violate the Con- was uncertain. Once a res-
as it winds its way through gress's exclusive power of olution is introduced, lead-
the legal system before po- the purse, which our Found- ers by law cannot prevent
tentially ending up at the ers enshrined in the Consti- votes on such a measure,
Supreme Court. tution," House Speaker Nan- which would need a sim-
"Sadly, we'll be sued and cy Pelosi and Senate Minor- ple majority to pass each
sadly it will go through a ity Leader Charles Schumer chamber. A resolution
process and happily we'll said in a joint statement. would all but certainly pass
win, I think," said Trump. Trump defended his use the Democratic-controlled
Within hours of Trump's of an emergency decla- House and may also pass
statement, the American ration, saying other presi- the Republican-run Sen-
Civil Liberties Union an- dents had done the same. ate, if a few GOP senators
nounced it would file suit Other presidents have used break with Trump. q