February 14, 2019

Watson Coleman Statement on the President’s Threat to Declare a National Emergency

Washington, DC (February 14, 2019) — Following reports that President Trump may declare a national emergency in order to build his ill-advised and bigoted border wall, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) issued the following statement.

“To declare a state of emergency to build this misguided, hate-fueled, wasteful, inefficient and ineffective monument to his own personal ego is, at the same time, one of the most flagrantly lawless and inherently Trump-ian things this President could attempt.

“Everyone – me, Congress, the American people – know there is no emergency, and there’s no need for the wall — it’s why the public won’t support it and why his own party has balked at paying for it. I also know just how ridiculous and hypocritical his lies about immigrants and the border are because I had the pleasure of spending the day with his former employee, Victorina Morales, last week. His own organization took it upon themselves to hire and aid undocumented workers in getting phony paperwork. Now, according to the President, they’re suddenly a pariah and a threat. If the President declares a national emergency, it will be a blatant attack on the rule of law and Congress must take him to task for it.”

 

 

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