Trump declares national emergency on border, taking extra money for wall

By Dave Boyer – The Washington Times – Friday, February 15, 2019

President Trump declared a national emergency on the southern border Friday, saying he’ll defy Congress to divert about $6.5 billion in unspent federal funds to build more border walls that lawmakers have refused to authorize.

“We’re going to confront the national security crisis at our southern border,” the president said. “We’re talking about an invasion of our country.”

He called the declaration “a great thing to do.”

In a Rose Garden event, the president signed a spending bill to keep the government open, a measure that provides nearly $1.4 billion for border barriers.

But after months of bitter debate with Democrats and a 35-day government shutdown over border security, Mr. Trump said the bill doesn’t go far enough to address the crisis of illegal immigration and drug smuggling on the border with Mexico.

He said other presidents have signed national emergency declarations dozens of times “for far less important things.”

Democrats vowed to block Mr. Trump’s move in court and with legislation, saying he’s exceeding his authority and forcing a constitutional crisis. Some Republican lawmakers also fear the move sets a dangerous precedent and will worsen spending disputes between the administration and Congress.

The president intends to draw $3.6 billion from military construction accounts, the portion of funding that requires a national emergency declaration. Mr. Trump also is moving $2.5 billion from military counter-narcotics programs, and $600 million from a Treasury Department forfeiture program that collects money from drug lords and other criminals.

All told, the moves would give the president about $8 billion for wall funding, more than the $5.7 billion he sought in December.