WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to declare a national emergency to fund his controversial border wall, the White House said Thursday, a move that alarmed US lawmakers shortly before they passed legislation to avert a government shutdown. But it does not specifically fund a wall on the US-Mexico border, and Trump's emergency declaration would help him bypass Congress to locate and redirect billions of dollars in funding to build it. But by declaring an emergency, Trump opens a new confrontation -- and creates some of the riskiest legal peril of his term. Court challenges likelyUnder the National Emergencies Act, the president can declare a national emergency, providing a specific reason for it. And House Judiciary Committee Jerry Nadler expressed support for a joint congressional resolution to "terminate" Trump's emergency declaration.

Source: Philippine Star February 15, 2019 02:03 UTC