Dear Group,
Is McMorris Rodgers a stateswoman or a partisan hypocrite? Will she vote for the action of her autocrat, her “positive disruptor,” or will she cast her vote in defense of the U.S. Constitution? Will she vote against the “executive overreach” she has condemned (but only when a Democratic President was in office)?
It could not be clearer. Donald Trump, the autocrat, was not voted all the funds he wanted for his non-emergent wall. The Article 1, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution: “1. All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.”
By Trump’s own admission, “I could do the wall over a longer period of time. I didn’t need to do this, but I’d rather do it much faster.” That is not a description of an emergency. Having declared a bogus emergency he now plans to flout Congressional refusal to provide funds. Their is no clearer demonstration of a President’s contempt for the authority reserved to Congress, specifically the House of Representatives, under the Constitution. .
McMorris Rodgers and all the other Trump followers will conveniently forget the National Emergencies Act of 1977 contained safeguards that were later dismantled by the Supreme Court (See A Constitutional Crisis for details.) Congress never intended to toss away its Constitutional prerogative to a President without appropriate safeguards, especially to an autocrat acting in precisely the manner Trump just has done.
Today the House of Representatives is likely to vote on H.J.Res. 46: Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on February 15, 2019. The full text of the bill follows:
That, pursuant to section 202 of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622), the national emergency declared by the finding of the President on February 15, 2019, in Proclamation 9844 (84 Fed. Reg. 4949) is hereby terminated.
This is safeguard against autocracy the National Emergencies Act contained when Congress passed it in 1976.
H.J.Res. 46 has 225 co-sponsors, including one brave Republican, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, a man who must have read the Constitution. It will pass the House. In the Senate, with its slim Republican majority, it’s fate is less certain. If it does pass the Senate, Trump will veto it, thus setting up a confrontation in the Supreme Court. Will the Supreme Court uphold the Constitution or the autocrat? We’ll see…but this is the groundwork for re-affirming we are a nation that follows the rule of law, not the whim of a narcissist.
Call your Representative this morning and let them know how you feel. Then lodge your opinion with both your Senators.
CMR:
Spokane Office (509) 353-2374
Colville Office (509) 684-3481
Walla Walla Office (509) 529-9358
D.C. Office (202) 225-2006
Rep. Russ Fulcher (new R, ID)
(202) 225-6611
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)
D.C. Office (202) 224-2621
Spokane Office (509) 624-9515
Yakima Office (509) 453-7462
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
D.C. Office (202) 224-3441
Spokane Office (509) 353-2507
Richland Office (509) 946-8106
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID)
D.C. 202-224-6142
North ID, 208–664-5490
Sen. James Risch (R-ID)
D.C. 202-224-2752
Coeur d’Alene 208-667-6130