GOP Rep. Reed: Congress Should Be ‘Co-Equal’ with President in National Emergency Declaration

Friday, Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) defended the bipartisan effort he is a part of that would limit the president’s power in a national emergency declaration.

Reed explained on CNN’s “New Day” that he agreed with President Donald Trump that there was a crisis at the border and the current law should be followed, but said Congress should be “co-equal” the president in declaring a national emergency.

“Congress under [the National Emergency Act] has given tremendous authority to the president,” Reed told host Alisyn Camerota. “And when we gave that authority away as Congress, because congressional leaders don’t want to have the hard votes on record, the president has the authority to make these determinations and act. And when I looked at the border, I saw the crisis at the border.”

“Given the fact that Congress delegated the authority, [the] president has the authority to make that determination, I agreed with the assessment that it’s a crisis. Now, what I’m very concerned about is why did we delegate that authority to the president? Congress needs to take that authority back so that the president doesn’t have this broad discretion that even this president and future presidents will have if we do not act,” he continued.

Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent