President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Friday to get more funding for his long-promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.
No modern president has used a national emergency to appropriate funds when Congress wouldn't. Hours after the declaration, press secretary Sarah Sanders said Trump had also signed the spending bill to avert another government shutdown.
Some supported the bill, others not so much. The money in the bill for border barriers, about $1.4 billion, is far below the $5.7 billion Trump insisted he needed and would finance just a quarter of the more than 200 miles (322 kilometers) he wanted this year.
Here are some of the reactions 11Alive has received from Georgia leaders.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue:
“I am pleased that Congress has passed, and President Trump has signed, funding for USDA for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2019. We will be moving at full speed on all of our responsibilities, making good on our motto by doing right and feeding everyone. Since Congress did not act to protect our southern border, the President has also declared a national emergency, which helps him fulfill a clear promise to protect our national security interests. He is exercising his Constitutional authority, as presidents from both parties have done many times in the past.
“Even with the passage of the appropriations bill, Congress still has unfinished business in areas of great concern for USDA and the customers we serve. Farmers and ranchers were battered last year by a series of monumental storms, robbing them of their livelihoods and inflicting damage well beyond the financial risks they normally assume in their operations. These are the men and women who dedicate their lives to feeding, fueling, and clothing this nation, and we cannot turn our backs on them when they need assistance. Just as importantly, another devastating wildfire season left our Forest Service badly in need of replenished funds to fight fires, remove excess fuels, and conduct necessary forest management. Without these resources, we risk falling behind in forest maintenance and inviting even more severe seasons in the future. I will continue to work with the President and the Congress to address these critical issues.”
Rep. Doug Collins said he supported Trump's efforts to secure the nation's border.
"The crisis at our southern border demands immediate action, and I support President Trump’s commitment to securing our border and protecting our citizens. Declaring a national emergency is a serious act with deep implications, and it’s disappointing that partisan politics have brought us to this point. In acknowledging this, we also recognize the president possesses full legal authority to declare this emergency and he is not alone in his commitment to keeping Americans and migrants safe. Congress should also take action to address the crisis that continues to endanger Americans and dismantle families by fixing loopholes in the law that encourage people to take dangerous, illegal paths into the United States.”
The day before Trump declared the national emergency, Rep. Tom Graves said he didn't support the bill because he felt the president was forced to declare the national emergency to secure the nation's border. He supports the president taking action.
“I will not support a bill that falls so short that President Trump is forced to declare a national emergency to meet the growing needs at our southern border. I support President Trump using constitutional executive action to build the wall and keep our country safe, and I regret that Congress is putting him in this position.
“As a member of the conference committee charged with creating this bill, I hoped that this would be a transparent process, with vigorous debate and an outcome that improved the security of our country. Instead, we discovered that Democrats had already written a bill before our first meeting. This set the stage for a policy that is wrongly focused on handcuffing law enforcement, rather than known criminals who illegally cross our border."
Rep. Hank Johnson also released a statement about the spending bill and national emergency the night before Trump declared it.
“The Trump emergency ranks with the 35-day Trump Shutdown as a low point in this administration,” said Johnson. “Who would have thought he could take us lower than the parade of guilty pleas and convictions of close associates arising from the Mueller investigation? It’s a sad day for the nation when one man can falsely claim there is a national emergency simply to untangle himself from a political problem of his own making. With this declaration, Trump sets a dangerous precedent as he continues his march toward despotism. I ask my Republican colleagues to work with me to prevent the destruction of the delicate balance of power that exists between the legislative and executive branches of government.”
- Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-Ga.) released the following statement after President Donald J. Trump announced executive action to secure the Southwest border:
Congressman Earl L. "Buddy released the following statement:
"I have said from the beginning that I did not want President Trump to be forced into taking executive action to secure the border. However, unfortunately, Congress has failed to deliver on our most critical responsibility to provide for the common defense. Democrat's refusal to negotiate in good faith has left President Trump no other option than to take action on his own for the security of Americans. There are dangerous gang members, human traffickers and drug smugglers coming into our country. There is absolutely a crisis at our border and I've seen it firsthand. This is a national emergency and I support President Trump's decision to protect our citizens and our homeland."