Trump eyes emergency powers to pay for border wall, end shutdown

[webfact]

Trump eyes emergency powers to pay for border wall, end shutdown

By Jeff Mason and Steve Holland

 

U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters as he departs for a visit to the U.S. southern border area in Texas from the White House in Washington, U.S., January 10, 2019. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

 

MCALLEN, Texas (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to use emergency powers to bypass Congress and get billions of dollars to pay for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border as a partial U.S. government shutdown over the issue stretched into its 20th day.

 

Trump flew to the Texas border with Mexico to try to bolster his case for the wall, flanked by tearful family members of people killed by illegal immigrants and border patrol agents who are not receiving pay checks during the shutdown.

 

"If we don't have a barrier, a very substantial barrier of some kind, you're not going to be able to solve this problem," Trump said at a briefing where plastic-wrapped bricks of heroin, seized guns and a plastic bag full of cash were prominently displayed.

 

Trump is adamant that a government funding bill to end the shutdown include $5.7 billion (4.5 billion pounds) for a border barrier - his signature campaign promise. The standoff has left a quarter of the federal government closed down and hundreds of thousands of federal employees without pay.

 

A day after he stormed out of a meeting with Democratic leaders that was aimed at negotiating an end to the funding standoff, Trump attacked them for refusing his demand, calling them harder to deal with than China, a rival power.

 

"I find China, frankly, in many ways to be far more honourable than Crying Chuck and Nancy. I really do," Trump said, referring to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

 

Trump signalled he was prepared for the showdown to stretch into late January, cancelling plans to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which is scheduled to start on Jan. 22.

 

'HIS ONLY WAY OUT'

Trump said his lawyers had told him he had the power to invoke national emergency powers to get his wall funded, a course of action that Democrats have said may be illegal.

 

"I have the absolute right to declare a national emergency," Trump told reporters at the White House. "I’m not prepared to do that yet, but if I have to, I will."

 

If Congress fails to bend on the border wall funding, Trump said he probably would declare an emergency. "I would almost say definitely," he said.

 

The declaration would circumvent Congress's power over the national purse strings, giving Trump the ability to redirect money from the Department of Defence to his proposed wall.

 

Such a step likely would prompt an immediate legal challenge over constitutional powers from congressional Democrats. A subsequent court fight could be protracted, making room for the shutdown to be ended in the interim. The final outcome would then be left up to judges, not the president and Congress.

 

Even some Republicans who want to build a wall have said they do not want money to taken from the military for it and others see it as an overreach of executive powers.

 

Senator Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat who has cultivated good relations with Trump, said a national emergency declaration by Trump would be “wrong but I think that’s his only way out” of the government shutdown impasse.

 

If Trump were to make such a declaration, Manchin predicted the Senate would immediately pass legislation to fund the federal agencies that have been partially closed.

 

"If he did it tonight, everybody would be right here to vote," Manchin told reporters.

 

NO TALKS UNDERWAY

Republican Senator Roy Blunt told reporters that he knew of no discussions now under way to end the border wall fight that has led to the shutdown.

 

Pelosi told reporters Trump keeps "increasing the obstacles to finding a solution" to the shutdown.

 

"He loves the distraction that this is from his other problems," she said at a briefing.

 

Pressure on both sides could intensify on Friday when about 800,000 federal employees - including border patrol agents and airport security screeners - miss their first paychecks.

 

About half of the workers who are deemed essential to national security - people such as prison guards and airport employees - are working without pay. Others are staying home on furlough.

 

At the FBI, where most agents continue to work, concerns are building that operational funds the bureau needs to conduct investigations, including sensitive undercover operations, are beginning to dry up, said Tom O’Connor, president of the FBI Agents Association.

 

The lack of paychecks also could threaten the financial security of FBI personnel and conceivably raise questions about their security clearances, O'Connor said.

 

The shutdown, which began on Dec. 22, will be the longest in U.S. history if it is still under way on Saturday.

 

ACROSS THE RIO GRANDE

Trump says undocumented immigrants and illegal drugs are streaming across the border from Mexico, despite statistics that show illegal immigration there is at a 20-year low and that many drug shipments likely are smuggled through legal ports of entry.

 

Just across the Rio Grande river from McAllen, in the Mexican city of Reynosa, a dozen recent deportees and U.S.-bound migrants gathered near a cross that memorialized dead migrants.

 

Plagued by kidnappings, Reynosa is so dangerous for migrants that locals advise new arrivals against any trip alone out of the two migrant shelters.

 

"Building a wall for a country, a nation so big, for a border so immense, so many kilometres is ridiculous," said Jose Ramon Poso Briseno, a Honduran man who has waited in Reynosa’s Senda de Vida shelter for five months but has so far balked at crossing the river out of fear of cartel violence.

 

(Reporting by Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Patricia Zengerle, Amanda Becker, Richard Cowan, Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Ginger Gibson, David Alexander, Mark Hosenball in Washington and Delphine Schrank in Reynosa, Mexico; Editing by Kevin Drawbaugh and Bill Trott)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-01-11

[sirineou]

Good, let him try it!

[Somtamnication]

So glad I gave up that citizenship 20 odd years ago. Good luck, 'Merkins, you will need a lot of prayers to get over this fiasco.

[samran]

January 2017 - GOP majority 
January 2017 Wall not an emergency
February 2017 Wall not an emergency
March 2017 Wall not an emergency
April 2017 Wall not an emergency
May 2017 Wall not an emergency
June 2017 Wall not an emergency
July 2017 Wall not an emergency
August 2017 Wall not an emergency
September 2017 Wall not an emergency
October 2017 Wall not an emergency
November 2017 Wall not an emergency
December 2017 Wall not an emergency
January 2018 Wall not an emergency
February 2018 Wall not an emergency
March 2018 Wall not an emergency
April 2018 Wall not an emergency
May 2018 Wall not an emergency
June 2018 Wall not an emergency
July 2018 Wall not an emergency
August 2018 Wall not an emergency
September 2018 Wall not an emergency
October 2018 Wall not an emergency
November 2018 Wall not an emergency
November 2018 Democratic majority elected in House
January 2019 EMERGENCY!!!

[OneMoreFarang]

Trump needs an emergency operation of his brain.

But probably after the doctors open up the head they will look at each other asking: where is it?

[LomSak27]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Trump eyes emergency powers to pay for border wall, end shutdown

Then decides he needs to find a bathroom for his daily tweet session and bowel movement.

 

Stay Tuned,

[mamypoko]

Ah Donald, yet again courting the tiki torch vote 

[helpisgood]

*Troll post edited out*

 

It seems to me that the US-Mexican border issues are not a national "emergency."  It's not like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor, etc.  I think Border Patrol, etc. can and will be able to deal with the "invasion" of caravans without Trump's "beautiful wall."  Isn't what Trump is asking for his wall actually money better spent elsewhere?

 

The only real emergency, in the ordinary sense of the word, is the damage done by a protracted govt. shutdown to important govt. agencies and to the financial welfare of the families serving the USA.

[sirineou]

Trump has painted himself in a corner and the American people are paying for it. He is already paving the way out of this so that he can fail, but claim that he tried very hard and it is not his fault for not happening.

    It's the fault of the "fake media", "Chuck's fault" ,"Nancy's fault" etc. He will declare a national emergency, It will be challenged in the courts, Then he will sign the proposal already waiting in the Senate to open the Government, and while waiting for the courts to rule in his favor, which of course will never happen, because if it was not a National Emergency for the past two years, what has now changed to make it an emergency now?

But by that time "Individual one" will be involved in deeper Sh*# for his base to worry about the wall, and before you know it he will be delegated to the dustbin of history. 

[wwest5829]

6 minutes ago, sirineou said:

Trump has painted himself in a corner and the American people are paying for it. He is already paving the way out of this so that he can fail, but claim that he tried very hard and it is not his fault for not happening.

    It's the fault of the "fake media", "Chuck's fault" ,"Nancy's fault" etc. He will declare a national emergency, It will be challenged in the courts, Then he will sign the proposal already waiting in the Senate to open the Government, and while waiting for the courts to rule on his favor, which of course will never happen, because if it was not a National Emergency for the past two years, what has now changed to make it an emergency now?

But by that time "Individual one" will be involved in deeper Sh*# for his base to worry about the wall, and before you know it he will be delegated to the dustbin of history. 

Sounds like the most likely course of events.

[OneMoreFarang]

20 minutes ago, helpisgood said:

 

It seems to me that the US-Mexican border issues are not a national "emergency."  It's not like 9/11 or Pearl Harbor, etc.  I think Border Patrol, etc. can and will be able to deal with the "invasion" of caravans without Trump's "beautiful wall."  Isn't what Trump is asking for his wall actually money better spent elsewhere?

 

The only real emergency, in the ordinary sense of the word, is the damage done by a protracted govt. shutdown to important govt. agencies and to the financial welfare of the families serving the USA.

Obviously you are right.

But how many Trump fans do you think are able or willing to follow your logic? If they could think they wouldn't support him...

[OneMoreFarang]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Trump is recorded on video declaring he will be proud to take responsibility for the Government shutdown.

 

Quit your pathetic gaslighting.

I also saw that video - I am sure Trump will say it's fake news. And his supporters will believe him...

[keemapoot]

18 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Sounds like the most likely course of events.

Here's a pretty good analysis of what is likely to happen by a journalist who did study constitutional law as part of her JD law curriculum at Berkeley. Trump can call an emergency, but there is no end-game for Trump that ends with him getting the wall, but it may allow him to save face with his base and keep them intact, and that is all he cares about, so I think Trump might go ahead and declare an emergency.

 

Quote

Trump says we have an emergency, so fine, reopen the government. Congress passes the funding through the end of the year; Trump signs it. Within a nanosecond, multiple parties are in multiple federal court venues seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent Trump from moving funds. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/10/all-reasons-there-is-no-emergency/?utm_term=.64517511f293

[Skallywag]

A lot of money - yet peanuts compared to pensions paid to military and all other "retired" government employees each month.  Why retired government and military personnel cannot live off 401K and SS is unbelievable.  Also the interest paid on the national debt in 30 Billion each month.  https://www.google.com/search?q=government+pensions+out+of+control&rlz=1CAASUE_enUS748US760&oq=govern&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j69i59j0l2j69i65j0.9042j0j8&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Emdog]

Sets a horrible precedent, but Trump doesn't care about anything other than his "face". Nixon didn't declare national emergency after campuses exploded following invasion of Cambodia. If Trump does this, it will tell future presidents "emergency is whatever you want it to be in order to circumvent the Constitution".

[sirineou]

 

[keemapoot]

1 minute ago, Emdog said:

Sets a horrible precedent, but Trump doesn't care about anything other than his "face". Nixon didn't declare national emergency after campuses exploded following invasion of Cambodia. If Trump does this, it will tell future presidents "emergency is whatever you want it to be in order to circumvent the Constitution".

Yes, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, for Republicans this will come back to bite them big time. Because it sets up a precedent where the next Democratic President will use the same pretext of national emergency to declare an emergency too when there isn't one.

 

I expect Trump to do this (declare national emergency) because he cares nothing of the destruction he is wreaking on institutions, he only cares about 38% of the populace that keeps him in power through this anomaly caused by the electoral college.

[sirineou]

2 minutes ago, keemapoot said:

Yes, and MORE IMPORTANTLY, for Republicans this will come back to bite them big time. Because it sets up a precedent where the next Democratic President will use the same pretext of national emergency to declare an emergency too when there isn't one.

 

I expect Trump to do this (declare national emergency) because he cares nothing of the destruction he is wreaking on institutions, he only cares about 38% of the populace that keeps him in power through this anomaly caused by the electoral college.

 The courts will never allow it. The simple question will be asked "if it was not an emergency for Two years , what has changed to make it an emergency now" 

[Scott]

Troll post and replies removed.  

[JAG]

I understand, (from the BBC) that Mr. Trump has now denied ever saying that Mexico will pay for the wall!

 

I have got into the habit of looking at the "World News" forum every morning, to see what he has done next. It rarely disappoints! He really is the gift which keeps giving!

[Credo]

8 minutes ago, JAG said:

I understand, (from the BBC) that Mr. Trump has now denied ever saying that Mexico will pay for the wall!

 

I have got into the habit of looking at the "World News" forum every morning, to see what he has done next. It rarely disappoints! He really is the gift which keeps giving!

Oh, he said it 212 times during the campaign.    He's said it many times since.   He even had a plan for pressuring Mexico into paying:

 

‘The story keeps changing’: Trump falsely asserts he never promised Mexico would directly pay for the border wall

 

 

He did say it — at least 212 times during his campaign and dozens more since he took office. And he put it in writing — in a March 2016 memo to news outlets that was then posted on his campaign website.

Specifically, Trump threatened to cut off billions of dollars in remittance payments from Mexican nationals in the United States to families in their home country. That, he proclaimed, would pressure the Mexican government to cough up “a one-time payment of $5-10 billion” for the wall.   https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-story-keeps-changing-trump-falsely-asserts-he-never-promised-mexico-would-directly-pay-for-the-border-wall/2019/01/10/92ffee8e-14f5-11e9-90a8-136fa44b80ba_story.html?utm_term=.030aa8e4adba

 

[Hanaguma]

Regardless of the politics, we should trust the people 'on the spot', in other words the Border Patrol. They seem to believe that more wall/fencing is needed. Finding the money won't be hard, it is less than one percent of the total federal budget.  The big problem is that Democrats don't want to give Trump a "win", regardless of the facts of the situation. 

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

Regardless of the politics, we should trust the people 'on the spot', in other words the Border Patrol. They seem to believe that more wall/fencing is needed. Finding the money won't be hard, it is less than one percent of the total federal budget.  The big problem is that Democrats don't want to give Trump a "win", regardless of the facts of the situation. 

This thread is about emergency powers, not about whether it would be helpful or not.

 

Do you think the situation has changed and requires emergency powers now, un like 2 years ago?

[forqalso]

Does trump own a cement company?

[keemapoot]

4 minutes ago, Hanaguma said:

Regardless of the politics, we should trust the people 'on the spot', in other words the Border Patrol. They seem to believe that more wall/fencing is needed. Finding the money won't be hard, it is less than one percent of the total federal budget.  The big problem is that Democrats don't want to give Trump a "win", regardless of the facts of the situation. 

No. The people "on the spot" are those citizens who live in border areas along 2,000 miles and understand the effects personally. And overwhelmingly, they reject Trump's plan in that every single one of the 9 elected representative on the border areas (including Republicans) rejects Trump's plan.

[Skallywag]

The trouble is as I have read; Emergency powers are for dealing with "new" imminent threats.  The border wall controversy and illegal immigrant entering is a decades old issue/problem.  

[Berkshire]

2 hours ago, sirineou said:

 The courts will never allow it. The simple question will be asked "if it was not an emergency for Two years , what has changed to make it an emergency now" 

I agree that this will probably be tied up in the courts for quite some time.  But frankly, I hope Trump goes through with it.  Trump will be happy--won't lose face with his hardcore supporters.  Trumpets will be happy because he's "trying" to keep his campaign promise.  The Dems and base will be happy because the government will be reopened and they didn't have to give Trump a cent for his wall.  And the Republican Congress may FINALLY realize what a total loonie Trump is. 

[OneMoreFarang]

2 hours ago, Scott said:

Troll post and replies removed.  

Was Trump using Twitter again?

And I thought Twitter said they can't block him...

[Guest]

Breaking news! Nancy Pelosi and Democrats gave in for Trump's demands. Building of the wall has already started.

 

[Tug]

Go ahead Donald it will be denied in court but it’s plane to see abuse of power so just another nail in your coffin