Top Republicans oppose border ’emergency’ as shutdown drags on

Top Republican lawmakers are warning against Donald Trump declaring a national emergency to secure funds for a border wall, signaling doubts within the president’s party as a government shutdown was set to enter a fourth workweek.

Senator Ron Johnson, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, tells CNN that he would “hate” to see Trump invoke emergency powers for a wall.

“If we do that, it’s going to go to court and the wall won’t get built,” he says.

And Representative Steve Scalise, the number two House Republican, tells ABC, “We don’t want it to come down to a national emergency declaration,” even if he believes Trump has the authority to do so.

Trump only recently backed away from talk of an emergency declaration, after pressing it for days as a way out of the continuing budget standoff.

— AFP