What people are saying about national emergency

[struggle4progress]

... Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who is the highest ranking female in Republican leadership, said it "sets a very dangerous precedent" ...

Utah Senator Mitt Romney ... said he disagreed with a national emergency, and called on the president to "stay within statutory and constitutional limits" ...

... ex-NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch warned: "What if Democrats one day decide to say that climate change is a national emergency (they already have) but have the power to use executive action? Must be very, very careful here."

Puerto Rico Republican Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon said in a letter to the president that she is concerned that he will divert hurricane recovery funds from the island - and other states and territories recovering from natural disasters - in order to build a border wall ...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-47247042

[struggle4progress]

1. An attack on democracy

Chris Truax
Published 11:27 a.m. ET Feb. 15, 2019
Updated 12:21 p.m. ET Feb. 15, 2019

... President Trump felt no pressing need for the wall for the last two years and nothing of emergency proportions on the ground has changed. What has changed is control of the House. When Republicans lost their unified control of Congress, President Trump lost any chance whatsoever of fulfilling his "Build the wall!" promise that his base loves so much.

So the "emergency" here is that President Trump isn't able to get Congress to agree to what he wants. If he's unable to build his wall, even his most dedicated fans will turn on him. That may seem like an emergency to President Trump, but it certainly isn't the kind of thing that could, even theoretically, justify making an end-run around Congress. People booing Donald Trump at his rallies is not the equivalent of the zombie apocalypse.

... Someday, Democrats will control the presidency and won't be able to get, say, a Republican Senate to take action on one of their pet issues. If President Trump can declare an emergency to expropriate land and build his wall, some future president will be able to declare an emergency to shut coal mines and build windmills.

Nor is this threat fanciful as numerous Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi herself, have made the warning — or perhaps, threat — explicit. Rep.Emmanuel Cleaver tweeted, “Gun violence is a national emergency. Climate Change is a national emergency. Income inequality is a national emergency. Access to healthcare is a national emergency. Building a wall on the southern border is not" ...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/02/15/donald-trump-declares-national-emergency-build-border-wall-announcement-column/2880434002/

[Garrett78]

2. Climate change is an emergency, Dana. So is gun violence. So is systemic racism.

[California_Republic]

3. Say some real shit like "I will vote to rescind "

[struggle4progress]

4. People react to declaration

... “Immigration has been really great for this country and helped a lot of people out and I just think it’s really hateful to say its an emergency” ...

“Billions of dollars to build what, a steel wall? We don’t really need that wall built” ...

https://wbng.com/news/top-stories/2019/02/15/people-in-our-area-react-to-national-emergency-declaration/

[struggle4progress]

5. Locals react

by Stephanie Santostasi
Friday, February 15th 2019

... "I think it's stupid. We don't need a wall" ...

... "I feel like every time anything comes out of the White House's mouth it just adds to the stress of our country" ...

https://wlos.com/news/local/locals-react-to-possibility-of-president-trump-declaring-national-emergency

[struggle4progress]

6. Business, conservative groups slam emergency declaration

BY NIV ELIS - 02/15/19 03:51 PM EST

... opponents included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, FreedomWorks and the Heritage Foundation, all of which warned that the decision could set a precedent for a liberal president to take actions opposed by businesses and conservatives.

“The declaration of national emergency in this instance will create a dangerous precedent that erodes the very system of government that has served us so well for over 200 years," said Thomas J. Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ...

https://thehill.com/policy/finance/430271-business-conservative-groups-slam-trumps-national-emergency-declaration

[Vinca]

7. Add to that the irony of another mass shooting on the television this afternoon.

[Merlot]

8. Those aren't "people," they're republicans.

[struggle4progress]

9. Emergency declaration slammed

BY DAVID BRENNAN ON 2/16/19 AT 3:48 AM

... Thomas J. Donohue, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce—a business-oriented lobbying group that has supported climate change-denying candidates but also opposed Trump’s executive order ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program—said the emergency declaration constituted a threat to the American political system.

“The declaration of national emergency in this instance will create a dangerous precedent that erodes the very system of government that has served us so well for over 200 years,” he said.

Adam Brandon, the president of FreedomWorks—a libertarian think tank that helped the emergence of the Tea Party movement—said Trump’s maneuver had dangerously undermined the power of Congress.

“No matter whether a Republican or a Democrat sits in the Oval Office, the concentration of power in the executive branch is alarming,” he said. “We’re concerned that this executive action only make matters worse. After all, no president looks at the powers left by his predecessor as a ceiling” ...

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-emergency-declaration-conservative-groups-criticized-1333700