Trump considering declaring emergency as U.S. shutdown nears record length
WASHINGTON (January 11, 2019)- President Donald Trump, facing the panorama within days of the longest U.S. government shutdown in history, is considering declaring a national emergency that would likely escalate a policy dispute with Democrats over his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall into a court test of presidential power.
To escape his self-created political trap, Trump suggested strongly on Thursday that he might declare an emergency so that he can bypass Congress to get funding for U.S.-Mexico border wall, which was a key agenda of his 2016 election campaign.
He had originally assured that Mexico would pay for the wall, which he says is needed to stem the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs. But the Mexican government has refused. Trump is now demanding that Congress provide $5.7 billion in U.S. taxpayer funding for the wall.
Trumps U.S.-Mexico border wall is strongly opposed by Democrats in Congress, who call the wall an ineffective, outdated answer to a complex problem. The standoff has left a quarter of the federal government closed down and hundreds of thousands of federal employees staying home on inactivity or working for no pay and set to miss their paychecks.
The partial federal government shutdown entered its 21st day on Friday. It will become the US history’s longest shutdown ever on Saturday.
With no Capitol Hill compromise in sight, Trump publicly deliberated on Thursday during a trip to the Texas border about declaring an emergency.
A close Trump confidant judged the time for such a step had come. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement: “It is time for President Trump to use emergency powers to fund the construction of a border wall/barrier. I hope it works.”
Alternate Sources
The Wall Street Journal, NBC and the Washington Post, quoting unnamed sources, reported that the White House had asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to look into diverting money from its budget toward the wall and to explore how fast construction could begin under an emergency declaration. Reuters could not immediately verify the accuracy of the reports.
Analysts view matter going to court’s
An emergency declaration as being considered by Trump would come with risks. Even some of Trump’s fellow Republicans in Congress have signalled worries about such an action. Given that the Constitution gives Congress the power to set spending priorities and appropriate money, they worry about a tough legal fight and an unwise example.
Analysts claim Trump’s emergency declaration decision will prompt an immediate court challenge from Democrats, including an accusation of trying to circumvent Congress’ power over the national exchequer.
That would push the wall standoff into the courts, allowing the government to be fully reopened while the honourable judges weigh the case, which may take months.
This will also allow Trump to move out of his self-created political trap regards to U.S.-Mexico border wall.
Partial government funding expired on Dec. 22, leaving departments ranging from Justice, Agriculture and Treasury to Commerce and Homeland Security without money to operate programs and pay their workers.