Pelosi asks members to support resolution against emergency declaration

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) circulated Wednesday a letter asking members of Congress to sign onto a resolution to terminate President Trump’s border emergency declaration.

The resolution, presented by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) who is the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHS), will be introduced Friday.

{mosads}”The President’s decision to go outside the bounds of the law to try to get what he failed to achieve in the constitutional legislative process violates the Constitution and must be terminated,” Pelosi wrote in her “Dear Colleague” letter. 

Pelosi took the unusual step of sending the letter to both Democrats and Republicans in the House.

Pelosi added that Castro’s privileged resolution will move quickly — it will be reported within 15 calendar days and moved to the House floor for consideration within three days after that. Pelosi noted she hopes the upper chamber will move on the resolution after it’s passed in the House.

Trump last month signed a spending bill to keep government open, but added an emergency declaration to procure funds for a border wall that was not funded by Congress. The move was met with strong pushback from Democrats and a handful of Republicans who felt it was an overreach of power. 

Pelosi argued in the letter that members have an obligation to uphold the power of the legislative branch. 

Castro’s bill already has more than 90 supporters, according to a report on Reuters, and is likely to receive ample support in the Democratic majority.

-Juliegrace Brufke contributed to this report which was updated at 8:54 p.m.