2020 Dems slam Trump’s plan to declare national emergency

Democratic presidential candidates rushed to denounce President Trump on Thursday after the White House announced the president’s plans to declare a national emergency to fund his demand to build a border wall.

Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) joined a chorus of their Democratic colleagues in denouncing Trump’s plan, 

“Trump’s inability to follow through on a campaign promise is not a national emergency,” Booker tweeted.

Trump’s inability to follow through on a campaign promise is not a national emergency.

Let’s not forget those still struggling to rebuild their lives after this administration failed to respond effectively to real emergencies in places like Puerto Rico. https://t.co/NMSRnvKJQF

— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) February 14, 2019

“Declaring a national emergency over this President’s vanity project is ridiculous. We don’t need a wall. Instead, we should address the actual emergencies facing our country — everything from gun violence to the opioid crisis,” Harris tweeted soon after.

Declaring a national emergency over this President’s vanity project is ridiculous. We don’t need a wall. Instead, we should address the actual emergencies facing our country — everything from gun violence to the opioid crisis.

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 14, 2019

“Gun violence is an emergency. Climate change is an emergency. Our country’s opioid epidemic is an emergency. Donald Trump’s ridiculous wall is not an emergency,” Warren said in a tweet.

Gun violence is an emergency.
Climate change is an emergency.
Our country’s opioid epidemic is an emergency.

Donald Trump’s ridiculous wall is not an emergency.

— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) February 14, 2019

“An outrageous abuse of power—not to mention waste of taxpayer dollars—if he goes through with this ludicrous idea. Drop the absurd wall and do your job,” Gillibrand said.

An outrageous abuse of power—not to mention waste of taxpayer dollars—if he goes through with this ludicrous idea. Drop the absurd wall and do your job. https://t.co/kEWdIXjNjr

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 14, 2019

The White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Thursday that Trump will sign a spending bill that allots $1.375 billion for roughly 55 miles of new barriers along the southern border, but said the president will also declare a national emergency to make up the remainder of the $5.7 billion he had initially demanded.

{mosads}All four 2020 candidates voted against the funding bill.

Trump had threatened for weeks to declare a national emergency to secure border wall funding and follow-through on one of his signature campaign promises. The declaration of a national emergency is expected to draw legal challenges.

“We’re very prepared, but there shouldn’t be [legal challenges]. The president’s doing his job. Congress should do theirs,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement.

Several Republicans in both chambers, meanwhile, have called on the White House to avoid the declaration. McConnell said Thursday he would support the president.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D) signaled that Democrats will fight Trump on the plan.

“There is word the president will declare a national emergency. I hope he won’t. That would be a very wrong thing to do,” he said, adding that he and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will issue a more formal response “in short order.”

The emergency declaration is subject to a resolution of disapproval, which must pass both chambers and requires Trump’s signature.