House Checks Trump’s Abuse of Emergency Powers, Senate Must Follow Suit

Statement of Common Cause President Karen Hobert Flynn

The House took decisive action today to overturn President Trump’s abuse of the Emergency Powers Act and the Senate must follow suit. Americans expect and deserve a Congress that will not tolerate abuse of power by the president.

Unable to secure funding for an unnecessary and hugely expensive wall on the Mexican border, President Trump chose to bypass Congress with a manufactured emergency. This is a deeply troubling precedent to set and Congress must curb it now or it will only further embolden the president to bypass the legislative branch when it will not bend to his whims.

For two years the Republican majority in Congress served as the President’s chief enablers and it has only led to further abuses of power. Voters are watching closely and they expect their elected representatives in Washington to put their country before their party.

History is watching as well and it will not look kindly on those who choose political expediency over the good of the country.

To view the letter Common Cause sent to House members urging them to support the resolution, click here.

To view Common Cause’s original statement and legal explanation of opposition to Trump’s national emergency order, click here.