Hoyer Statement on Reports President Trump Will Declare a National Emergency

WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after reports indicate President Trump will declare a national emergency to build a wall at the southern border:

“Declaring a national emergency would be a violation of the spirit of the laws Congress enacted to deal with actual emergencies by allowing an extraordinary circumvention of our Constitution’s framework of checks and balances.   I was at our southern border last week and can verify that no emergency exists there.  This is a dangerous ploy by a President who cares not a whit about the precedent it will set and the broad, bipartisan opposition in Congress to such a declaration.  Instead of making an end-run around Congress to build an expensive and ineffective wall, President Trump ought to work with the legislative branch to deal with our immigration, asylum, and border security challenges in a strategic way. 

“The House will vote for the conference report tonight to keep government open, but House Democrats will challenge this irresponsible declaration.”