The White House is preparing for Donald Trump to declare a national emergency
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Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to declare a national emergency along the US-Mexico border.
While the President’s advisers have been divided on the issue, the White House is moving forward with plans to bypass Congress and declare a national emergency over the issue of funding for the wall to keep immigrants out of the country, CNN reports.
“The massive amount of aliens who unlawfully enter the United States each day is a direct threat to the safety and security of our nation and constitutes a national emergency,” a draft of a proclamation reads.
“Now, therefore, I, Donald J. Trump, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the National Emergencies Act (50 US C 1601, et seq.), hereby declare that a national emergency exists at the southern border of the United States,” it adds.
An official told the network that the administration is considering pulling $US3 billion in Pentagon civil-works funds and a further $US3.6 billion in military-construction funds.
Additional funds would come from treasury forfeitures and the Department of Homeland Security.
Earlier today, the Senate voted down two bills that would end the partial government shutdown, which has entered its 34th day.
The Republican-backed bill would have included $US5.7 billion in funding for the wall and limited protections for certain immigrants.
The second, Democrat-backed bill would have opened the government again without granting Mr Trump the wall funding.
In response to the rejections, Mr Trump said he would support a “reasonable” solution brokered by Senate leaders, but would otherwise resort to “other alternatives if I have to”.
DEMOCRATS STAND FIRM AGAINST TRUMP’S REQUEST
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is rejecting the idea of providing “some big down payment” for Mr Trump’s border wall as part of a solution to the partial government shutdown.
Ms Pelosi spoke after Mr Trump suggested a “reasonable” instalment on such a barrier might be a way to solve the impasse. She suggested the idea was not a serious one.
She told reporters: “I hope that doesn’t mean some big down payment. That is not a reasonable agreement between the senators.”
Asked whether she knows the size of a down payment that Mr Trump might find reasonable, she replied, “I don’t know if he knows what he’s talking about”.
Source: https://www.news.com.au/finance/work/leaders/the-white-house-is-preparing-for-donald-trump-to-declare-a-national-emergency/news-story/b6fbb10c6308007826cc88ae248efa9a
