President Trump is considering declaring a national emergency to build a border wall.
The president said he may call a national emergency to build a wall “very quickly” during a press conference on Friday.
“Absolutely, we can call a national emergency,” he told reporters. “I haven’t done it. I may do it. I may do it. We can call a national emergency and build it very quickly.”
“It’s another way of doing it. If we can do it through a negotiated process, we’re giving that a shot.”
WATCH: President Trump says he is considering declaring a national emergency as a potential attempt to circumvent Congress for border wall funding. pic.twitter.com/7CYDuBS2pn
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 4, 2019
Interestingly, a CBS reporter pointed out that the section of federal law Trump was referring to was used by then-President Bush to funnel military construction funds into an unspecified project during a declared national emergency in 2001.
This appears to be the section of federal law that would permit the president to use unobligated military construction funds for projects "not otherwise authorized by law" during a war or declared national emergency — https://t.co/yLuFQLpFKy
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) January 4, 2019
Bush 43 invoked this authority shortly after 9/11. (I'm not sure for what. But I have a few guesses.)
— Steven Portnoy (@stevenportnoy) January 4, 2019
Earlier, the White House released an eight-page briefing entitled “A Border Security and Humanitarian Crisis” which outlines its case for a border wall:
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