Pelosi on National Emergency: Trump ‘Is Doing an End Run Around Congress’

Thursday at her weekly press briefing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said President Donald Trump would be “doing an end run around Congress” if he declared a national emergency to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Pelosi said, “It’s important to note that when the president declares this emergency, first of all, it’s not an emergency, what’s happening at the border.”

She continued, “The president is doing an end run around Congress about the power of the purse. You’ve heard me say over and over again, Article 1, the legislative branch, the power of the purse, power to declare war, many other powers listed in the Constitution. And of course, the responsibility to have oversight. So the president is doing an end run around that.”

She added, “I’m saying we are reviewing our options. We have to see what the president will say. I don’t believe that the—there’s any good faith negotiation to have with the Republicans in Congress if they’re going to support the president doing an end run about what the will of the people, the Congress of the United States has put forth. So we will review our options, and I’m not prepared to give any preference to any one of them right now.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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