Off The Wall: Trump Emergency Declaration Denounced

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Donald Trump. Photo: Gage Skidmore-Flickr

 

President Trump’s declaration of a national “emergency” to enable him to shift billions of dollars from various federal agencies toward his insane border wall project has been widely condemned by elected leaders and activists. 

“Declaring a national emergency without legitimate cause could create a Constitutional crisis,” said Letitia James, New York attorney general. “This action will harm Americans across the country by diverting funds necessary to handle real emergencies and real disasters to advance the President’s personal agenda. We will not stand for this abuse of power and will fight back with every legal tool at our disposal.”

Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY), said, “This is a violation of Congress’ constitutionally vested power of the purse and it must be stopped. For my part, I will support legislative action and legal efforts to block the administration’s move. Certainly, I’m relieved that the Administration ultimately chose not to target Puerto Rico disaster recovery funds for this purpose. However, taking money from other important projects to fund a monument to hate on our southern border is equally unacceptable.”

Velázquez added: “Democrats will oppose this unconstitutional effort with every ounce of energy we have. Now, our Republican colleagues, who so frequently extol the constitution’s virtues, must step forward and defend the prerogatives of the legislative branch. As I have said previously, this should not be a Republican-Democrat issue, but an issue of the separation of powers. Senate Republicans who have previously expressed reservations about this course must now do their part to defend our constitution.”

“At this point I don’t know which is worse. The fact that a proven liar is leading the country and literally manufacturing a constitutional crisis that doesn’t exist based purely on racism, hatred and bigotry, the elected leaders who continue to support this Administration’s divisive policies and actions because of its bigotry, or the millions of people in this country excited to be a MAGA follower in plain sight, eager to vote for those who sprew such hate,” said Jumaane Williams, a New York City Council Member who is also running for Public Advocate. “I’m glad to be a part of the America that is the light that is still shining and guiding us through the darkness, which is the true National Emergency.”

“Trump’s planned declaration of a national emergency is a threat to our democracy. Determined to go around Congress when he does not get enough funding for a border wall strongly opposed by voters, Trump now plans to declare the existence of a national security threat that his own security experts say does not exist, and a humanitarian crisis that is a disaster of his own making,” said Faith in Action’s immigrants’ rights campaign, LA RED. “Trump allowed human and civil rights abuses to be unleashed on immigrant communities, including separations of children from parents, deaths of adults and children while in custody, violence and abuse against immigrants and denial of asylees’ rights.”

Rev. Alvin Herring, executive director of Faith in Action, said: “James 4:17 says ‘If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.’ We as a nation are still healing from the mental, physical, and emotional toll that was put upon us whilst enduring the government shutdown. To now declare a state of emergency effectively puts us right back into that place of uncertainty.”

Rev. Michael McBride, director of Urban Strategies for Faith in Action’s LIVE FREE campaign, added, “Our country has many national emergencies and none of them exist at our southern border. Poverty is a national emergency, gun violence is a national emergency, but not our neighbors to the south seeking asylum and safety here in the United States.”

 

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