Pelosi urges lawmakers to end Trump emergency with resolution

Feb. 21 (UPI) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is urging lawmakers to sign a resolution that would terminate the national emergency President Donald Trump declared in order to secure funds for physical barriers along the southern border.

In a letter circulated Wednesday, Pelosi, D-Calif., told lawmakers to sign Rep. Joaquin Castro’s resolution, which will be introduced Friday, to end the emergency declaration, NPR reported.

“I write to invite all Members of Congress to co-sponsor Castro’s privileged resolution to terminate this emergency declaration,” Pelosi wrote.

In the letter, Pelosi said the president’s decision to circumvent the normal federal procedures “to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process violates the Constitution.”

She said that the resolution will move quickly through government, landing on the House floor within 18 days, the Hill reported.

Representatives have until 3 p.m. Thursday to sign, she added.

Pelosi’s “Dear Colleague” letter, sent to both Democrats and Republicans, comes as the White House is moving forward with its plan to secure funds despite 16 states and advocacy groups suing the president also to block the declaration.

Last Friday, Trump signed a bipartisan spending bill to avert a second government shutdown. However, the bill only allocated $1.38 billion for physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, substantially less money than the $5.7 billion he had requested.

To secure the money to fund one of his major campaign promises, Trump then declared a national emergency at America’s southern border in order to siphon funds from other projects to pay for the barrier.

The move has raised the ire from Democrats and even a few Republicans.

Castro, D-Texas, said prior to Trump declaring the national emergency that if the president did take that step he would challenge it, saying in a Feb. 14 media release that it would set a “dangerous precedent regarding the constitutional balance of powers between the executive and legislative branches.”

Pelosi, in her letter, said that members of Congress have an obligation to maintain government procedural power.

Despite already having more than 90 supporters, the bill would have to secure a two-thirds majority in the House and Senate to override a presidential veto, NPR reported.