If Biden Declares Climate Emergency, Experts Worry How Wide the Scope of His Powers Would Be

Last week, President Joe Biden said during an interview that his administration “already” declared a national emergency over climate change, before starting to clarify that he practically — not actually — had.

CNN called the statement “incorrect” but there is widespread speculation he will declare one soon. Citing anonymous White House sources, The Washington Post reported in July that Biden is considering whether to declare a national climate emergency in the coming weeks.

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U.S. Senate Votes to Strike Down Biden’s Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers and COVID National Emergency

nurse with hairnet and mask on

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to strike down Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate targeting healthcare workers at federally funded facilities. The measure passed on a party-line vote of 49 to 44.

No Democrat senators voted with Republicans to repeal the mandate, but GOP senators were able to get the resolution through the Senate because six Democrats missed the vote, The Hill reported.

The bill was sponsored by Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kan.), who physician, and former military officer.  Before voting began, Marshall argued that the CMS vaccine mandate is “not about public health or science.”

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Joe Biden Ends President Trump’s National Emergency on Southern Border

Joe Biden has announced that his administration will be ending the declaration of a national emergency on the southern border that was first declared by the Trump Administration, as reported by Fox News.

President Trump first declared the national emergency in February of 2019, which allowed him to allocate billions of federal dollars to the construction of the wall after Congress repeatedly blocked his efforts to do so. The move allowed for nearly 500 miles of new border wall to be constructed by the end of his first term. Biden announced the decision in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), in which he described the policy as “unwarranted.”

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Sherrod Brown Lashes Out at Trump, Calls Wall ‘Vanity Project’

National Senate Democrats released a report Monday showing that President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration could divert $112 million in funding away from military projects in Ohio. According to The Columbus Dispatch, the cuts could impact a $61 million plan for a new building for the National Air and Space Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Other cuts could include $8.8 million in funding just to relocate the main gate at Youngstown Air Reserve Station. Projects like a $7.4 million machine gun range at Camp James A. Garfield, and a $15 million hangar at Toledo Express Airport were also on the list. Morgan Rako, spokeswoman for Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH-10), noted that the “list does not indicate which projects specifically will have delayed funding, if any.” She also pointed out that Trump’s fiscal year 2020 budget proposal actually includes $121 million in funding for the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base intelligence center. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), however, claimed that Trump is “hurting military missions by taking money away from Ohio military installations to pay for his vanity project.” “President Trump claims he wants to help workers and support our military, yet his actions tell a different story,” Brown said in…

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President Trump to Veto Congressional Resolution Attempting to Stop Him From Building the Wall

by Robert Romano   “VETO!” That was President Donald Trump’s one-word response on Twitter to the Senate after it passed a resolution to overturn his national emergency declaration on the southern border. The resolution passed 59 to 41, with 12 Senate Republicans voting in favor. VETO! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019 That was enough to pass the Senate, but 59 votes is not enough to override a veto. That takes two-thirds majorities in both chambers of Congress: 67 votes in the Senate, plus another 290 in the House. And it seems doubtful there will be the votes in either chamber to do so. In February, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dismissed the idea that the veto would be overridden with the help of House Republicans, saying, “I don’t see any way that would get overridden, if it were vetoed, in any way shape or form.” Similarly, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) declared, “there will be nowhere near the votes to override a veto.” Meaning, in all likelihood, the veto will stand. That’s that. In Trump’s emergency declaration, he reprogrammed $8.1 billion of uncommitted military construction funds to building the wall and steel barriers along the…

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US Senate Rejects Trump’s National Emergency Declaration

The U.S. Congress on Thursday formally rejected President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration to fund border wall construction, as the Senate voted 59 to 41 to disapprove the executive action, weeks after the House of Representatives did the same. Twelve Senate Republicans joined a unified Democratic caucus to pass the disapproval measure in the Republican-led chamber, defying the White House and ignoring a presidential veto threat. “This is not a normal vote — this is not a normal day,” said Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, noting Congress’ first-ever official rejection of a national emergency declaration. Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she backed Trump’s goal of beefing up security along the U.S.-Mexico border, but not his bid to bypass Congress. “The president’s action comes into direct conflict with Congress’ authority to determine the appropriation of funds, a power vested in Congress by the framers of our Constitution,” Collins said. “This issue is not about strengthening our border security, a goal that I support.” At the White House, Trump promised to respond. “I’ll probably have to veto [the disapproval],” the president said at an Oval Office meeting with Ireland’s prime minister. “The legal scholars all say it [national…

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Ohio’s Republican Senator Rob Portman Joins Senate Democrats in Voting Against Trump’s National Emergency Declaration

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and 11 of his Republican colleagues joined Senate Democrats Thursday in voting against President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration. In a 59-41 vote, the Senate passed a bill that would terminate Trump’s emergency declaration, though the president has already said he will veto the resolution. Portman announced his intention to vote in line with his Democratic colleagues during a Thursday morning speech on the Senate floor. “From the outset of this process I’ve had two objectives. One, to support the president on the crisis at the border. I believe his plan to address that crisis is a good one—we should support it. But second, to do it in the right way without setting a dangerous new precedent counter to a fundamental constitutional principle, without tying up the needed funds for the border in the courts, and without taking funds away from important military construction projects for our troops” Portman said. Portman later said of Ohio, which has “been devastated by the opioid epidemic,” that “over 90 percent of the heroin is coming across the southern border.” “Yesterday I learned from Customs and Border Protection that fentanyl seizures along the border between the ports of entry has…

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Josh Hawley Explains Why He’ll Defend Trump’s National Emergency on the Senate Floor

by Nick Givas   Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri said he will stand with President Donald Trump and vote “no” on the Senate’s resolution of disapproval of his national emergency. “Look, first of all, we have a crisis at the border. And it’s clear to anybody who’s looked at the situation,” Hawley said Tuesday on “Fox & Friends.” “Congress has heard testimony on this over and over,” he continued. “We have a smuggling crisis. We have a humanitarian crisis, we have a drug crisis. We have a law enforcement crisis, number one. Number two, Congress has given the president this authority. In 1976, Congress passed a law that gave the president the ability to declare a national emergency. So it’s a pretty simple question. Is this an emergency or not? Because Congress has said he can declare a national emergency. This clearly is an emergency. That’s why I’ll be voting no against the Democrats and yes with the president.” Host Brian Kilmeade said the GOP might have trouble rounding up enough votes to support the president and asked why Republicans are so divided. “You know, I can’t speak for other senators, but, you know, I know there are some…

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Commentary: Say It Ain’t So Rand, Say It Ain’t So

by CHQ Staff   Our liberty-minded friend Senator Rand Paul has apparently come out in support of a resolution blocking President Trump’s use of a national emergency declaration to fund the much-needed security wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. According to multiple media reports, Sen. Paul said in a speech Saturday that he “can’t vote to give extra-Constitutional powers to the president.” According to the Bowling Green [Kentucky] Daily News, Paul told attendees of the Southern Kentucky Lincoln Day Dinner, “I can’t vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress.” Paul also said, “We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn’t authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it’s a dangerous thing.” Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, Susan Collins, of Maine, and Thom Tillis, of North Carolina, have also signaled opposition to President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the southern border, leaving Senate passage of the Democrats’ resolution of disapproval a strong possibility. The problem we have with Senator Paul’s argument against the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border is two-fold. First, it rests upon the faulty constitutional premise that the…

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Senator Rand Paul Will Vote Against Trump’s National Emergency Declaration

Rand Paul

by Henry Rogers   Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul said he will vote against a resolution in an attempt to terminate President Donald Trump’s national emergency for border wall funding. Paul will join a group of three Republicans who have expressed their concerns with Trump’s declaration for a national emergency, saying they do not believe the president should be allowed to override Congress to such a degree. “I can’t vote to give extraconstitutional powers to the President,” Paul said, to the Bowling Green Daily News Saturday. “I can’t vote to give the President the power to spend money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress,” he continued. “We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn’t authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it’s a dangerous thing.” He was speaking to the Warren County Republican Party. In the group are Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Thom Tillis of North Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine. “As a U.S. senator, I cannot justify providing the executive with more ways to bypass Congress,” Tillis wrote in an op-ed for The Washington Post. “As a conservative, I cannot endorse a precedent that I know future left-wing presidents will exploit to advance radical policies that will…

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Rep. Mark Green Talks to the Tennessee Star Report About His Questioning of Michael Cohen at Oversight Committee Hearing, Heartbeat Bill and Border Security

On Friday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked to Tennessee Congressman Mark Green about his opening statements and questions posed to Michael Cohen during the hearing in Washington yesterday. The Congressman admitted that this was a strategic move that would allow a light to be shown on the true intentions of the Democrats. Towards the end of the segment, Mark Green touched upon his positions regarding the Fetal Heartbeat bill and the border wall security funding.  He went on to note that there are many Republicans not siding with the President and joining the Democrats in their resolution bill to stop the national emergency as declared by President Trump while noting the several national emergencies declared by previous Presidents in number. Gill: Congressman Green with us on our newsmakers line this morning. And Congressman, Great job. Even Rush Limbaugh gave you some kudos this week. (Green laughs) Green: Yeah that was a pinnacle. The highlight of my life to get a good shout out from Rush Limbaugh. That was pretty cool. Thanks for having…

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Commentary: Hamstrung Dems Are Powerless to Stop Trump’s Border Declaration

by Jeffrey A. Rendall   Why are we still talking about this? You’re forgiven if you’re wondering the same thing, referring to the controversy over illegal immigration, border security and President Donald Trump’s recent national emergency declaration, which addressed the perpetual problem of aliens streaming over the line between America and Mexico without authorization or official permission from the powers that be here. Statistics show a high percentage of border jumpers are apprehended by the United States Border Patrol, but what happens to the human hindrances after capture is where the political class diverges. According to Wikipedia, the United States Border Patrol, “is an American federal law enforcement agency whose mission is to detect and prevent illegal aliens, terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United States, and prevent illegal trafficking of people and contraband.” Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Theoretically, we detect ‘em, we catch ‘em, we detain ‘em and we ship ‘em back to whenceforth they came. For decades Washington politicians from both parties acknowledged something must be done to combat illegal immigration yet not much in the form of legislation or resolutions solved the dilemma. But if the hot air emanating from lawmakers’ mouths was quantifiable it’d melt what remains of the…

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Commentary: If Congressional GOP Votes Against the National Emergency, President Trump Will Be Proven Right About the Swamp

by Robert Romano   By declaring a national emergency on the southern border and at least attempting to repurpose military construction funds to the wall — whether for steel or concrete barriers or both — President Donald Trump has politically inoculated himself against Congress’ failure to deliver on his signature campaign promise to protect America. Trump has done everything in his power to get it done. He managed to get Congress to approve $1.6 billion in 2018 for replacing existing fencing with new steel barriers and he got another $1.375 billion in 2019 for some new steel barriers. The first leg of that was like pulling teeth, as Trump dealt with a reluctant Republican leadership in Congress that repeatedly delayed the issue in order to avert a government shutdown. And then the second leg of that came after Republicans lost control of the House, and only because Trump opted to reject a funding bill without border barriers, prompting the longest partial government shutdown in history. Finally, to end the shutdown, Democrats relented and allowed some new border barrier money to flow. With the emergency declaration, the White House estimates that at least another $8.1 billion will be unlocked, well within…

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House Democrats to Challenge Trump’s Border Emergency Declaration

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are preparing to introduce a resolution challenging President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the country’s southern border. The resolution sponsored by Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas is set to be filed Friday, and could get a vote in the full House by mid-March. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a letter Wednesday encouraging both Democratic and Republican lawmakers to sign on as co-sponsors and said the measure would “move swiftly.” Trump declared an emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border last week after Congress passed a border security package totaling nearly $1.4 billion but without fulfilling his calls for $5.7 billion to construct a border wall. Trump says a wall is necessary to stop immigrants and drugs from illegally entering the country. Opponents say a wall is an expensive and ineffective measure, and that border security money would be better spent on more customs agents and boosting screening technology at points of entry. The House resolution has a strong chance of passing the Democrat-led House. Republicans control the Senate, so a number of members of Trump’s party would have to go against him in order for the measure to pass there. If it…

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North Carolina Attorney General Won’t Detail ‘Serious Concerns’ About Trump Border Declaration

North Carolina’s Attorney General Josh Stein has “serious concerns” about President Trump’s National Emergency Declaration – but his office won’t detail them. Stein won’t be entering into the 16 state coalition suing President Trump over the move. Instead, a statement from Stein was tweeted by the official North Carolina Department of Justice account that said he has “serious concerns” about the declaration and are reviewing it. .@JoshStein_ : "I have serious concerns about the legality of President Trump’s emergency declaration. We are reviewing the order, and in particular any effects on North Carolina military installations. We will not hesitate to take action if we conclude it is necessary.” — NC Attorney General (@NCAGO) February 19, 2019 Battleground State News reached out to the North Carolina Department of Justice (NCDOJ) for clarification on the Attorney General’s specific “serious concerns.” In our questions to the NCDOJ, we asked about the 31 active National Emergencies that have been declared since 1979. 10 of them were enacted under President Obama. Our research found no “serious concerns” lodged by Mr. Stein as a legislator or since taking office as Attorney General, so we asked for details of what his current “serious concerns” with the Trump…

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How Many Times Trump’s Predecessors Declared a National Emergency

by Fred Lucas   The push for a border barrier marks President Donald Trump’s fourth declaration of a national emergency—about a third as many as his three immediate predecessors in their two terms. The number of declared emergencies puts Trump on a par with Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. President Gerald Ford, who signed the 1976 National Emergencies Act, did not declare an emergency under it. His successor, Jimmy Carter, made two such declarations during his single term—one of which is still in effect. In all, 32 presidential declarations of a national emergency remain in effect, counting Trump’s action Friday, while 21 expired or were canceled. The overwhelming majority of national emergencies involved either blocking access to U.S.-held assets for bad actors on the world stage or preventing financial transactions with those countries or with international entities and individuals. Trump’s three immediate predecessors—Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton—each served two four-year terms. Obama declared a national emergency 13 times and nine of those emergencies are still in effect, according to the Congressional Research Service. The younger Bush declared a national emergency 14 times, and 10 are still in effect. Clinton made 14 declarations, six of which…

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Minnesota Activist Groups Protest Trump’s ‘Fake National Emergency’ Across the State

Resistance groups across the state organized protests Monday against President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration. The statewide protests were part of a national grassroots effort to oppose the president’s “fake national emergency.” According to USA Today, rallies took place all across the country, many of which were organized in conjunction with MoveOn.org. “We’re mobilizing rapid-response events on President’s Day against Trump’s fake crisis and racist deportation force and to stand with immigrant, Muslim, and black and brown communities to stop Trump’s dangerous and illegal power grab,” MoveOn.org explains. A map of events provided by MoveOn.org shows that at least five protests happened across Minnesota, including ones in the Twin Cities, Mankato, Rochester, Winona, and Alexandria. The Minnesota Sun found that these protests were organized by a somewhat covert protest group called “Indivisible Minnesota,” which consists of affiliate groups like “Indivisible MN-03” and “Indivisible St. Peter and Greater Mankato.” “If progressives are going to stop Trump, we must stand indivisibly opposed to him and the members of Congress who would do his bidding,” a Facebook description of Indivisible Minnesota states. One of Monday’s protests took place outside of Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s (D-MN) Minneapolis office, according to a statement from Indivisible MN-03.…

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For North Carolina, The Border Wall Is a $2.5 Billion a Year State Emergency

President Trump has declared the nation’s southern border a national emergency after Democrats on Capitol Hill refused to negotiate on building the border wall. The cost of not building the wall for the country is high – both in actual dollars and in criminal activity. It’s also staggeringly high for the states, in particular, California and battleground states like North Carolina. For these states, the annual cost is in the billions. The financial burden on the taxpayer is enormous and spans every area of possible spending from healthcare to education. In 2017, it was reported by the Federation for Immigration Reform that approximately 12.5 million illegal aliens and 4.2 million children of illegal aliens were costing taxpayers just under $135 billion a year. The report puts the cost of states of Texas, New Mexico, California, and Arizona to patrol their portions of the border at $490,780,000 annually. According to the Federation For Immigration Reform’s report, illegal aliens were only contributing around $18.9 million to the tax base, which when subtracted from the $135 million cost, leaves taxpayers on the hook for around $116 million. That translates to approximately $8,075 per illegal alien and citizen child prior to taxes paid, or…

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White House Defends Trump’s National Emergency Declaration

The White House on Sunday defended President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border to thwart illegal immigration. “He could choose to ignore this crisis, but he chose not to,” Trump adviser Stephen Miller, a border security hardliner, told Fox News Sunday. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com Miller assailed former Republican President George W. Bush for an “astonishing betrayal” of the U.S. nearly two decades ago when four times as many illegal migrants were entering the United States as now. But Miller said the “bottom line” is that “you cannot conceive of a strong nation without a secure border.” He said Trump’s action is “defending our own borders” and that illegal immigration “is a threat in our country.” Miller explained Trump’s actions were justified under a 1976 law giving presidents authority to declare national emergencies, although none of the 59 declared since then has involved instances when a president has attempted to override congressional refusal to approve funding for a specific proposal. The President declared the national emergency on Friday, which had refused his request for $5.7 billion in wall funding, even as it approved $1.375 billion for barriers along about…

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Trump Was Sued Over His National Emergency Declaration in Less Than Six Hours

by Kevin Daley   Public Citizen, a Washington-based consumer group, filed the first lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration concerning the southern border Friday night. The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, says the president’s declaration violates the separation of powers principles because there is no emergency at the southern border justifying the invocation of extraordinary powers. “Every halfhearted and palpably fabricated rationale to justify claims of emergency has been thoroughly and embarrassingly debunked,” said Public Citizen president Robert Weissman. “Unauthorized immigration is not surging. Terrorists are not invading from Mexico. Illegal drug traffic is coming primarily through legal ports of entry, not open border areas.” The plaintiffs are three Texas landowners who were informed that the government will construct border barriers on their property. They are joined by the Frontera Audubon Society, an environmental group that operates a 15-acre nature preserve in the Rio Grande Valley. The landowners say they will lose the use of their property if the wall is built, and fear damage to their homes during the course of construction. The Frontera Audubon Society warns of lasting damage to a critical animal habitat and claims its members will…

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Commentary: President Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott Can Use the Constitution to Build The Wall

by George Ralsey   It is clear to us that President Trump will get no help to secure the southern border from Capitol Hill’s Republican “leadership” and if the Wall is to be built it will only be accomplished through executive action. Much ink and hot air have been expended by pundits and Members of Congress debating whether the President has the authority to declare an emergency and use the military to build the Wall and other needed border security enhancements, or to fund wall construction by formally “reprogramming” funds already appropriated to the executive for other purposes. Much of the debate has focused on the Constitution’s Article I, Section 9, Clause 7 language that states, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law…” with those opposing executive action to build the Wall arguing that after a lengthy voyage through the courts, the Supreme Court would likely find that the President lacked the constitutional authority to build the Wall without a congressional appropriation for that purpose. Others argue that the President’s inherent power under Article II gives him the authority to reprogram funds in exigent circumstances. As Kate Stith, Lafayette S. Foster…

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McConnell: President Donald Trump Will Sign Funding Bill, Announce National Emergency for Border Wall

President Donald Trump is set to declare a national emergency Thursday evening to deal with the southern border crisis, a move that will come as he signs the bi-partisans border security legislation passed by the Senate earlier in the day and expected to be passed later in the day by the House, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced Thursday afternoon from the floor of the Senate. “He has indicated he is prepared to sign the bill. He will also be issuing a national emergency declaration at the same time,” Senator Mitch McConnell said. “I’ve indicated to him that I’m going to support the national emergency declaration. So for all of my colleagues, the President will sign the bill. We will be voting on it shortly.” The Senate voted 83-16 to pass the border security legislation today and the House will vote on the measure tonight. By declaring a national emergency, President Trump will move forward on the construction of a physical barrier along the country’s porous southern border to the extent that is lacking in Thursday’s bipartisan measure. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement on Trump’s plan. Statement on Government Funding Bill: pic.twitter.com/DrNv9D4rEi — Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) February 14,…

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Lamar Alexander Talks with The Tennessee Star Report About SOTU and Congressional Research Service Report That Says President Could Build Border Wall Without Declaring National Emergency

On Wednesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked to Senator Lamar Alexander and discussed President Trump’s SOTU address on Tuesday evening and the behavior displayed by the Democrats. As the segment moved to a close, the conversation became heated in a debate about a recent Congressional Research Service report that says President Trump can build the border wall without declaring a national emergency and how the President could appropriate funds to build the wall at the southern border and where those funds would come from. Gill: Good morning glad to have you with us. Alexander: I don’t think it was either. But I have a question for you. Were you watching the State of the Union or the Tennessee basketball game? Gill: To be honest, I was flipping back and forth. (Laughter) Also I had my ESPN box score up, so I was, even when I was momentarily watching the President I was keeping up with the Vols who got another big victory. (Inaudible talk) Alexander: I checked the score a couple of times.…

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Trump Calls Border Wall Negotiations ‘A Waste of Time’

by Carla Babb   President Donald Trump is calling bipartisan congressional talks over border wall funding a “waste of time.” In a White House interview with The New York Times Thursday, Trump again hinted he may declare a national emergency in order to bypass Congress and build the wall without its approval. “I’ll continue to build the wall and we’ll get the wall finished. Now whether or not I declare a national emergency, that you’ll see … I’ve set the table, I’ve set the stage for doing what I’m going to do.” Shutdown? National emergency? If there is no deal on border security in less than three weeks that Trump would sign, there could be another government shutdown. If Trump does declare a national emergency, Democrats who don’t want any money for a border wall will probably immediately challenge Trump in court. The president had strong words for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who has said many times that she will not agree to give Trump the $5.7 billion he wants for a wall. “I think Nancy Pelosi is hurting our country very badly by doing what she’s doing,” Trump said, adding that while he has always gotten along with her,…

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Tennessee Star Report EXCLUSIVE: Congressman Mark Green Discusses the National and Humanitarian Crisis at the Border

Steve Gill, Mark Green

On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – Gill and Leahy talked to recently elected Congressman from Tennessee, Mark Green about his recent rise to fame of Congress’s Freshman class, the transition, and how he’s leading the way in declining a paycheck while the government is in a shutdown. During the course of the interview, Green gave his thoughts and opinions about the border wall’s national security and humanitarian crisis and his strategy to create a cultural change within the House. Gill: Congressman Mark Green has kicked things off with a flurry of activity.  He’s on what, CBS, Fox News every time you turn on the TV he’s making headlines and leading the way. He was one of the first, if not the first to say I’m not going to take my paycheck while the government is shutdown. So he’s the pro bono Congressman from Tennessee at this point. I’ve worked free for clients a lot of times.  I didn’t intend to, they just didn’t pay.  But in this case, Mark Green has continued to show up for…

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President Trump Mulls Declaring ‘National Emergency’ to Build Wall, Predicts Movement in Negotiations with Democrats by Mid-Week

Echoing remarks from a White House press conference Friday, President Trump reiterated Sunday his option to declare the United States’ porous southern border a national emergency, thereby circumventing Congress in order fund the construction of a physical barrier to halt illegal immigrants from simply walking into the country. “I may decide a national emergency depending on what happens over the next few days,” President Trump told reporters from the White House lawn, several news outlets reported. He added: We have a meeting. Vice President Pence and a group will be going to a certain location – and you know where that is – and they’ll be having another meeting. I don’t expect anything to happen at that meeting, nor does the Vice President, but I think we are going to have some very serious talks come Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. We have to have border security. If we don’t have border security we are going to be crime-ridden and it’s going to get worse and worse. And we’re so sad watching the funeral of the slain police officer yesterday. Officer Singh. It was a very sad thing. But this is going on in many places. If you go back to the…

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Commentary: The Migrant ‘Caravan’ Marching Northbound To Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas, and What The U.S. Constitution Has To Say About It

The United States Constitution does contain a few references relative to immigration and naturalization as well as to persons seeking to enter the United States in contravention of its laws — whether violently or non-violently and whether singly or in the form of a human tsunami. In its Article I, Section 8, Clause 4, the Constitution specifically grants Congress the power “To establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization….” By expressly allocating this capacity to Congress, the Constitution seeks to prevent the confusion which would inevitably result if an individual state could itself bestow U.S. citizenship upon a person not born within the boundaries of that — or any other — state. Construing Clause 4, the United States Supreme Court, in the 1892 case of Boyd v. Nebraska ex rel. Thayer, defined “naturalization” as “…the act of adopting a foreigner, and clothing him with the privileges of a native [U.S.] citizen.” In Clause 11 of that same Article I, Section 8, the Constitution authorizes Congress “To declare War…and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water….” Interpreting Clause 11, the High Court ruled in the 1795 case of Penhallow v. Doane that the war power of the United States government is…

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