Senator Lamar Alexander on Wednesday announced he will vote to disapprove the Feb. 15 national emergency declaration.
He said, “I support the president on border security. I have urged him to build the 234 miles of border wall he has asked for in the fastest possible way by using $5.7 billion already approved by Congress.
But his declaration to take an additional $3.6 billion that Congress has appropriated for military hospitals, barracks and schools is inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution that I swore an oath to support and defend.
“Never before has a president asked for funding, Congress has not provided it, and the president then has used the National Emergencies Act of 1976 to spend the money anyway. The problem with this is that after a Revolutionary War against a king, our nation’s founders gave to Congress the power to approve all spending so that the president would not have too much power. This check on the executive is a crucial source of our freedom.
“This declaration is a dangerous precedent. Already, Democrat presidential candidates are saying they would declare emergencies to tear down the existing border wall, take away guns, stop oil exports, shut down offshore drilling and other left wing enterprises—all without the approval of Congress.”
Senator Marsha Blackburn said, “Since Congress gave emergency powers to the executive branch in 1976 under the National Emergencies Act, presidents from both political parties have declared national emergencies in the United States over situations far less dire than the security and humanitarian crisis that is currently plaguing the southern border.
"he President and Congress must take swift action to secure our border, protect our citizens, and defend our sovereignty. I support President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency and I reject the resolution of disapproval."
Senator David Perdue (R-GA) said he supports President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border:
He said, “There is a five-alarm crisis at the southern border. I’ve seen it firsthand. This is not just about illegal immigration or building the wall. It’s about the explosion in illegal drug trafficking. We also need to close loopholes and get border patrol agents the resources they desperately need. President Trump knows that, and he’s right to take action to protect the American people. It is criminal that Congress has made this a political issue when both parties should be working together to keep Americans safe.”
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