In Case You Missed It: Shaheen, Udall, Collins & Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Terminate President’s National Emergency Declaration

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) introduced a bipartisan joint resolution this week with Senators Tom Udall (D-NM), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to terminate the President’s national emergency declaration and uphold the separation of powers outlined in the Constitution. The resolution is a companion resolution to H.J.Res 46, which passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 245-182 earlier this week.

On February 15, 2019, the President declared a national emergency at the southern border, which would divert funding already appropriated for military construction and other projects toward a border wall. The joint resolution introduced by the Senators would terminate the national emergency declaration and uphold the separation of powers. 

“Our founding fathers gave the power of the purse to Congress, and it’s time for the Senate to follow the House in reaffirming that constitutional authority,” said Shaheen. “Further, there are many very real and present military threats from our adversaries, like Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, which is why the President’s declaration to pull critical funding from defense construction projects to pay for his ineffective border wall is so dangerous. The funding President Trump is trying to redirect could come from important projects at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and the New Hampshire National Guard – that’s unacceptable. I hope we can move quickly on this resolution in the Senate with a strong bipartisan vote.” 

Senator Shaheen recently led a New Hampshire Congressional Delegation letter to the President, urging him to reconsider this plan which could have an adverse impact on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) and the New Hampshire National Guard (NHNG). A member of both the Senate Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, Shaheen fought to secure the funding for PNSY and NHNG priorities in spending legislation that was signed into law in September.