![\"wall\"](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Trump-Wall-Prototypes-640x480-e1549209766600.jpg\")
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Washington state Democrat and House Armed Services chair Adam Smith said President Donald Trump does indeed have the authority to declare a “national emergency” and use the military to build his Mexican border wall.<\/p>\n
Speaking on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday, host George Stephanopoulos asked Smith whether Trump has the legal authority to “declare a national emergency” in order to get taxpayer funding for his proposed border wall. Smith replied Trump can legally make good on his threat to use the military to build the southern border barrier, he would be wasting billions in Defense Department money, and hurting national security. <\/p>\n
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) disagrees.<\/p>\n
By Michael Patrick Leahy
\nCRS says President Trump has the legal authority to build significant portions of a border wall without additional congressional authorization or declaring a national emergency.<\/p>\nThat conclusion was reached in a report<\/a> released by the nonpartisan federal agency on January 10. A Department of Defense official made a similar legal argument in testimony <\/a> before the House Armed Services Committee on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Until the CRS report was released, most of the national discussion surrounding President Trump\u2019s authority to build the wall on the southern border \u2013 which he promised in his successful 2016 presidential campaign \u2013 focused on only two legal options: (1) his current request for Congress to appropriate $5.7 billion in the current fiscal year to build the wall, or (2) the possibility that he could invoke his authority under the National Emergencies Act,<\/a> enacted in 1976, to build the wall.<\/p>\n
The refusal of Congress to appropriate the $5.7 billion for the border wall prompted the partial federal government shutdown that began on December 22<\/a> and ended on January 25,<\/a> when the president agreed to reopen the government for a brief three week period to allow congressional negotiators to hammer out a deal. Almost one week into that period of negotiation, it remains unclear if a deal will be struck. The president himself placed placed the odds<\/a> of success at \u201cless than 50-50.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The entire article may be viewed here: Breitbart<\/a><\/p>\n
Since Pelosi shows no sign of bending, these negotiations seem doomed to failure. Trump will have to fall back on Plan B. Or C. Maybe even D. Which he knew all along.<\/p>\n
Tip of the hat to Poetrooper for the link. Thanks, buddy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"