 By Ishaan Bhattacharya
Welcome back to the Giannini Politics update. Today, we will be discussing President Donald Trump’s recent national emergency declaration. In a controversial act of defiance, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border on February 15th. A national emergency is a nationwide crisis or a situation where circumstances threaten the country and call for an immediate response. After Congress’s rejection of his proposed $5.7 bn to fund his planned southern border wall, Trump announced the national emergency. The national emergency would enable the President to avoid the firm veto of Democratic Congressional leaders, and use the Department of Defense funds to construct the wall. Soon after his abrupt proclamation, sixteen states filed a lawsuit objecting Trump’s national emergency declaration. However, Trump’s national emergency was yet to be approved by the U.S. House of Representatives. The House voted to rescind Trump’s declaration on February 26th. The result of disapproval, which passed 245 to 182, must now be taken up by the Senate, where three Republicans have already declared their support, only one short of the number needed for Congress to renounce Trump’s desperate effort. Although it is highly unlikely that opponents will collect the votes required to overtake the affirmed Democratic refusal, Republicans who support the Border Wall will likely give their best effort to ensure it. |
