The United States President Donald Trump will declare emergency to fund his planned border wall against Mexico. Trumps says he will sign the border security bill to avert government shutdown, by bypassing the Congress.
The Democrats have called Trump’s response “abuse of power” and “lawless act.”
Construction of the Border wall was a major election promise by Trump. The president was unable to get the necessary funding to build the wall. On Thursday, the Congress passed a bill that does not meet Trump’s demand for the funding.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders statement reads, “President Trump will sign the government funding bill, as stated before, he will also take other executive action – including a national emergency – to ensure we stop the national security and humanitarian crisis at the border. The president is once again delivering on his promise to build the wall, protect the border, and secure our great country.”
The bill passed by the Congress allocates US$ 1.3 billion in funding for the border security, that includes physical barriers, but no money towards Trump’s US$ 5.7 billion wall.
Republicans who were against Mr. Trump from declaring national emergency now support him.
The Democrats will of course challenge the Trump administration legally, if and when Trump declares a national emergency.
What happens when Trump declares National Emergency?
The national emergency will give President Trump special powers to bypass usual process, and divert money from existing military or disaster relief budgets to pay for the wall.
It gives powers that include taking control of communication networks, declaring curfews, and limiting citizens’ movements.
The commander in chief can seize property, organize and control the means of production, seize commodities, assign military forces abroad, institute martial law, seize and control all transportation and communication, regulate the operation of private enterprise, restrict travel, and, in a variety of ways, control the lives of United States citizens.
After the president makes an emergency declaration, the law says the House and Senate should review it every six months, to make sure that it’s still necessary. They can similarly pass a joint resolution to bring it to an end.