Termination of National Emergency Declared By the President on February 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CRAWFORD. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this resolution.

When President Trump declared a national emergency, he did so in response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis at our border and with full statutory authority vested in laws passed in this very Chamber.

The majority claims that this resolution of disapproval is in response to a power grab by a President acting out of line. Yet, by merely disapproving of the emergency declaration, they are preserving his statutory powers they claim are inappropriate.

If my colleagues across the aisle are so concerned about separation of powers, why don't they simply reform the laws in title 10 and title 50 that the President is using to respond to this crisis? The answer is because this resolution is not about the division of powers; it is not even about border security. The only reason this legislation is being considered on the floor today is to obstruct the President's agenda.

The President has made it clear that he will use all statutory tools at his disposal to secure the border, and that is exactly what he is doing in declaring this emergency.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

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