WASHINGTON – Donald Trump is entering the breach over presidential powers, and taking fellow Republicans with him. Trump’s late-breaking decision to declare a « national…
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump is entering the breach over presidential powers, and taking fellow Republicans with him.
Trump’s late-breaking decision to declare a « national emergency » to help build his border wall comes over the objections of many congressional Republicans, and is perhaps the clearest sign yet of divisions within the GOP as it braces for the 2020 elections.
“I wish he wouldn’t have done it,” said Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, echoing comments by GOP colleagues.
Republican misgivings about Trump’s order range from the moderate Susan Collins of Maine – « a mistake » – to the more libertarian Rand Paul of Kentucky, who tweeted that « extraconstitutional executive actions are wrong, no matter which party does them. »
For his part, Trump said congressional Republicans have moved too slowly on wall funding. Still, he predicted that most will stick with him as things move forward, even as he appeared to blame the Republicans for what he considered a lack of funding for border security.
« People that should’ve stepped up did not step up, » Trump said during a White House announcement Friday.
While Trump acknowledged he will be sued over the emergency declaration – and the courts could block his plan to claw money from other budgets for his wall – Democrats plan to exploit Republican divisions in a political way.
Leaders of the Democratic-run House said they will likely try to pass a resolution of disapproval of Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the border. Congressional rules would force the Republican-led Senate to vote on the measure as well, putting Trump’s nominal allies on the record.
« I know the Republicans have some unease about it, no matter what they say, » said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. In a tweet after the president’s announcement, Pelosi said she and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., « call upon our Republican colleagues to join us to defend the Constitution. »
Several Republicans have voiced the concerns Pelosi has talked about: The idea that if Trump can declare a national emergency over a border wall, a future Democratic president can declare a national emergency on any number of his or her priorities, from gun control and climate change to opioids and immigration.
