February 14, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 29 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages S1365-S1366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Government Funding

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, first, let me congratulate the Chamber on 
the overwhelming vote for the appropriations bill. It is good news that 
we passed it by a lot of votes, and I hope the House does it by a lot, 
too.
  I need to comment on the news that President Trump may declare a 
national emergency in an attempt to build his border wall. If President 
Trump decides to go forward with a disaster declaration, he will be 
making a tremendous mistake.
  Declaring a national emergency would be a lawless act, a gross abuse 
of the power of the Presidency, and a desperate attempt to distract 
from the fact that President Trump broke his core promise to have 
Mexico pay for the wall. It will be another demonstration of President 
Trump's naked contempt for the rule of law and congressional authority.
  Congress just debated this very issue. There was not support for the 
President's position. Congressional intent on this issue is very clear. 
The President's wall has been before Congress several times and has 
never garnered enough votes to even merit consideration. For the 
President to declare an emergency now would be an unprecedented 
subversion of Congress's constitutional prerogative.
  The fact is, this is not an emergency, and the President's 
fearmongering doesn't make it one. A policy dispute about our southern 
border does not constitute a national emergency.

[[Page S1366]]

  Democrats support and have always supported strong border security, 
but the fact is, according to the CBP, apprehensions at our southern 
border are at historic lows.
  President Trump couldn't convince Mexico, he couldn't convince the 
American people, and he couldn't convince their elected representatives 
to pay for his ineffective and expensive wall. Now he is trying an end 
run around Congress in a desperate attempt to put taxpayers on the hook 
for it. Make no mistake--Congress will defend our constitutional 
authorities in every way that we can.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Jersey.