McConnell Reportedly Warns Trump Off Emergency Tactic Amid Possible GOP Revolt

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has privately cautioned President Donald Trump not to declare a national emergency to build his southern border wall, The Washington Post reported Friday. He warned Trump that such a declaration might split the GOP and that Congress could pass a resolution opposing it, two Republican sources familiar with the conversation told the newspaper. In such a situation Trump might be forced into the first veto of his presidency — against his own party, McConnell pointed out, according to the sources...Some GOP legislators have already spoken out against an emergency declaration — and against another government shutdown. GOP Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said that an emergency declaration was a “terrible idea” and that he would oppose it. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) said last month that to “give the president authority basically to do that all by himself would, I think, stretch constitutional boundaries.”...MORE

This is really laughable to me. The President doesn't even have to declare an emergency to set aside millions of acres of federal land "with the stroke of a pen." The Republicans controlled Congress for two years with a Republican in the White House and what did they do about this extraordinary power? Absolutely nothing. Senate Committee Chairman Murkowski introduced S. 33 to limit the President's authority in this area and never even held a hearing on the bill! And now they are going to revolt if the Trump exercises his authority to build a wall? Disgusting.

I am not one of those who believes a wall will solve our illegal immigration problems. But I do believe it is one of several tools that can be used to better manage the problem. I also believe the Congress has delegated far too much power to the Executive. However, for the R's to stand up for Congressional prerogatives, now, and on this issue, is simply sickening.