Posted on 03/12/2019 4:15:07 PM PDT by jazusamo
More than a dozen Republican senators introduced legislation on Tuesday that would make it easier for Congress to terminate future national emergency declarations, days before the chamber will vote on President Trump's.
The legislation, spearheaded by Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), would require that Congress pass a resolution extending an emergency declaration after 30 days for it to continue, otherwise it would be terminated.
“If Congress is troubled by recent emergency declarations made pursuant to the National Emergencies Act, they only have themselves to blame. Congress gave these legislative powers away in 1976 and it is far past time that we as an institution took them back. If we don’t want our president acting like a king we need to start taking back the legislative powers that allow him to do so," Lee said in a statement. In addition to Lee, GOP Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Thom Tillis (N.C.), Joni Ernst (Iowa), Pat Toomey (Pa.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Jerry Moran (Kansas), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), Ben Sasse (Neb.), Roy Blunt (Mo.), Rob Portman (Ohio), Todd Young (Ind.), Mitt Romney (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Roger Wicker (Miss.) are supporting the legislation.
The legislation—known as the Assuring that Robust, Thorough, and Informed Congressional Leadership is Exercised Over National Emergencies, or ARTICLE ONE, Act—would be a significant change to the mechanism Congress has to block a national emergency declaration.
Currently, Congress has to pass a resolution of disapproval to block Trump's emergency declaration on constructing the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump is expected to veto the resolution and neither chambers are expected to be able to override that veto.
Trump's emergency declaration has sparked a widespread discussion among Senate Republicans about if they should change the National Emergencies Act. Though Republicans largely support Trump on border security they are concerned that a future Democratic president will use his precedent to force through issues like climate change or gun control.
Lee's legislation would not impact Trump's current emergency declaration on the wall but, if passed, would impact any future emergency declarations.
Senators are discussing changes to the emergency powers law with the White House but it's unclear if Trump would support reining in his own executive authority, and he's consistently bristled at attempts by Congress to force his hand on legislation.
Blunt, a member of GOP leadership, said that Trump had raised concerns about executive overreach by previous presidents and that supporting Lee's legislation would give him a chance to get back in line with his campaign rhetoric.
"Well the president had problems with a candidate with the Obama overreach, so he's been on record for some time on this topic," he said. "I think this will give him a chance to get back to where he was three years ago."
Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters on Tuesday that Republican senators were looking at amending the law.
"We're looking at some ways to revisit the law. There's a lot of discomfort with the law. …Was it too broad back in the 70s when it was passed? So yeah, we're discussing altering that," McConnell told reporters during a weekly press conference.
Asked if he would support Lee's legislation, McConnell added that he "may well."
We’re not going to be able to vote ourselves out of this mess boys and girls so harden your hearts and hone your skills.
Just proves that there are MANY in the GOP that want open borders..because they dont want to be in power, they would prefer the commie left control everything
Spineless weasels.
Because going after Obama would have been racist and stuff, instead they bent over backwards kissing his ass
Yeah, we might as well vote for a Democrat because that’s what we get either way.
But when they had control of the House and Senate, they wouldn’t even TRY to pass anything like this. They would whine that Obama would veto any bills he didn’t like. I don’t want a Democrat President to have this kind of power, either, but you can bet if we had one, the dems would NEVER sign into a bill like this. Rinos only exert their power when it hurts conservatives.
It sounds like it was modelled on the War Powers Act.
you trust Cruz? so you’re the one
Their bill won’t affect this current national emergency.
Their bill won’t affect this current national emergency.
Their bill won’t affect this current national emergency.
The president doesn’t need anything but his inherent powers of Commander in Chief to DEFEND the nation.
Defending is not declaring war. It is deploying forces and capabilities to overcome an assault of any kind.
F***ing despicable traitors.
Go to Hell, Mike Lee.
*spits*
...... Well .... My guess is that Most who are trying to stop Trump from keeping the US a Powerful and Sovereign Nation have signed on to the UN Agenda 2030 which is basically the UN’s Recipe for Global Socialism which is the power behind much of what is driving the Leftward race to Socialism ...
no this is great. Trump gets to do it but future presidents can’t!! GREAT!!
How is this bill helpful?
What if a president needs to declare an emergency that our dickwad congress doesn’t agree is an emergency?
Do we want to wait on congress to solve or do anything of importance whatsoever?
BUILD THE WALL NOW!!!
Supposedly the republicans gained 2 or 3 Senate seats. But it appears as thought we lost a bunch.
Exactly.
“Trump’s emergency declaration has sparked a widespread discussion among Senate Republicans about if they should change the National Emergencies Act. Though Republicans largely support Trump on border security they are concerned that a future Democratic president will use his precedent to force through issues like climate change or gun control.”
Obvious differences: building the wall is Constitutional, and it is lawful, and it is specifically appropriated and merely underfunded. Congress never reversed itself on the need for a wall; only the Democrats did.
Climate change executive orders under emergency declarations would be required to be lawful and Constitutional orders—something they never would be if they were not specifically authorized by Congress in the first place.
A declared emergency in which a future president attempts to confiscate guns would be unlawful AND unconstitutional.
Apples and oranges.
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