The Wall Will Not Cost Anything

[Moderate Right]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

 

[Rexedgar]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything.

Slippery slope; tell me what funds does the government have that are not earmarked. What dollars are you speaking of?

 

[markjs]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

It won't cost anything because it will be swiftly defeated by the courts for the phony political stunt it is. Plus, if he could steal 6 bil from the Pentagon, ask those guys and the defense contractors how they feel about that? And what happened to how Trump has "restored our military" so then he can just steal that money back when it's convenient?

I'm not really defending the MIC here, but things being what they are, Trump hasn't a leg to stand on.:roll:

 

[americanwoman]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

Are you talking the full wall project from start to finish and allocations for maintenance or just a small down payment?

 

[Moderate Right]

It won't cost anything because it will be swiftly defeated by the courts for the phony political stunt it is. Plus, if he could steal 6 bil from the Pentagon, ask those guys and the defense contractors how they feel about that? And what happened to how Trump has "restored our military" so then he can just steal that money back when it's convenient?

I'm not really defending the MIC here, but things being what they are, Trump hasn't a leg to stand on.:roll:

He doesn't have a leg to stand on in the opinion of liberals.

 

[Moderate Right]

Are you talking the full wall project from start to finish and allocations for maintenance or just a small down payment?

Well, reality is that this would be a part of the wall. Part is better than nothing.

 

[Skeptic Bob]

Just remember, whatever precedent Trump starts in order to get around Congress, will likely be followed in the future by a President wanting to do something you DON’T like.

 

[Praxas]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

Nope it will be dragged in courts and Trump will be refused the funds. How can you declare a National Emergency when the number of illegals have dropped and you waited for 2 years (According to Trump longer than that) to declare one? I look forward to Trump getting laughed out of office in 2020 with no wall.

 

[Xelor]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

Red:
The hell they're not "earmarked" for anything!

• Fiscal 2019 Department of Defense Appropriations
• S. Rept. 115-290 - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 2019

Congress does not just toss a huge sum to a federal department and tell it to spend it as it sees fit.

 

[ttwtt78640]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

Building a token portion of additional border fencing, paid for with "chump change", is unlikely to stop (avert?) any "national emergency". Think about what you are saying here - if congress won't allocate funding for X then the POTUS can simply declare X to be a "national emergency" and take money intended for Y and spend it on X.

 

[ttwtt78640]

Just remember, whatever precedent Trump starts in order to get around Congress, will likely be followed in the future by a President wanting to do something you DON’T like.

Yep, turning the POTUS into a king is not even close to being a good idea.

 

[tres borrachos]

Well, reality is that this would be a part of the wall. Part is better than nothing.

What? That's like saying I'll fence in half of my yard because it will still keep my dogs in. Maybe they won't notice the 30 feet of open air they can run through.

 

[JasperL]

Well, reality is that this would be a part of the wall. Part is better than nothing.

How do you know what it would be? Presumably he needs to spend enough to end this "national emergency." Will "part of the wall" address this emergency? Or is it just intended for Trump to get a political "win" which of course is the only purpose of such a declaration...

 

[NebraskaFtball]

He doesn't have a leg to stand on in the opinion of liberals.

How about in the opinion of a conservative who believes in the Constitutional separation of powers? I don’t believe the Executive needs to usurp more power from the Legislative Branch than they already have over the decades.

There is no National Emergency. There is no reason to raid the Military for funds for something that is merely designed to placate a scared base of voters and their easily-manipulated feelings.

 

[Risky Thicket]

Just remember, whatever precedent Trump starts in order to get around Congress, will likely be followed in the future by a President wanting to do something you DON’T like.

Absolutely. It would not be too difficult to see a future president declare a national emergency to restrict in some manner the sale or ownership of guns. A president might well declare a national emergency to stop all abortions in the US, and so on it could go.

Trump's claim of national emergency is incredibly weak. Congress and most of America don't believe there is a crisis at the border and do not believe there is justification for a government shutdown nor do they believe there is justification to declare a national emergency. But let's suppose Trump declares a national emergency. The precedent would be established and - as Putin intended - American democracy would be further weakened under President Stable Genius.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Gotta love the ever fragile mind of the Trumpite.

“Mexico will pay for the wall” - cheer!

“No wait, we have to pay for the wall” - cheer!

“No wait, Mexico will pay for it, just, the trade deal, and stuff, will like, pay for it and like, you’re still paying for it like, though, it’ll, um, be paid for, somehow” - cheer!

“The wall will cost nothing” - cheer?

 

[PTF]

Hope our President presses on by declaring the emergency and not waste time negotiating with the stubborn liberal/Demos.

 

[JasperL]

Hope our President presses on by declaring the emergency and not waste time negotiating with the stubborn liberal/Demos.

Yeah, who has time for separation of powers in a constitutional republic? Let's just declare him Dear Leader to own the libs and move on with a dictatorship.

 

[NebraskaFtball]

Hope our President presses on by declaring the emergency and not waste time negotiating with the stubborn liberal/Demos.

The master negotiator should abandon negotiations because he isn’t getting his temper tantrum fulfilled? What a great precedent that will set for our nation moving forward.

Get ready for a National Emergency that leads to Universal Healthcare. A National Emergency that leads to the government seizing means of energy production in the name of Climate Change. A National Emergency that seizes firearm manufacturing, preventing any new firearm purchases.

Sure, this is a little hyperbolic. But so is the current manufactured crisis being pimped by Trump.

 

[Risky Thicket]

How do you know what it would be? Presumably he needs to spend enough to end this "national emergency." Will "part of the wall" address this emergency? Or is it just intended for Trump to get a political "win" which of course is the only purpose of such a declaration...

Somewhere today I read an interesting analysis of the Trump Wall/government shutdown fiasco. Whoever wrote the article, I honestly can't remember, said that a person who knows Trump and has known him for years said that for Trump it's primarily about making the other side lose. Trump, the writer said, is less motivated by win/win and is more motivated by forcing the other guy to lose and lose painfully. Even, he suggested, a lose/lose is preferable to Trump over a win/win because Trump is motivated by bringing pain and loss. It is thus extremely important to Trump that his opposition deeply feels a loss and with that in mind Trump will not backdown from the shutdown. He doesn't care about losing as long as the other side loses big. In that way Trump sees a lose/lose as a personal win and he gets off on that.

 

[Rexedgar]

He shoulda brought better candy.........eace

 

[NebraskaFtball]

Somewhere today I read an interesting analysis of the Trump Wall/government shutdown fiasco. Whoever wrote the article, I honestly can't remember, said that a person who knows Trump and has known him for years said that for Trump it's primarily about making the other side lose. Trump, the writer said, is less motivated by win/win and is more motivated by forcing the other guy to lose and lose painfully. Even, he suggested, a lose/lose is preferable to Trump over a win/win because Trump is motivated by bringing pain and loss. It is thus extremely important to Trump that his opposition deeply feels a loss and with that in mind Trump will not backdown from the shutdown. He doesn't care about losing as long as the other side loses big. In that way Trump sees a lose/lose as a personal win and he gets off on that.

I would agree with this and believe it as well. Trump is a genuinely cruel person. Miserable. He derives self worth through the degradation of others.

 

[Lursa]

Well, reality is that this would be a part of the wall. Part is better than nothing.

Not really much into cost/benefit analysis, are you?

Since the facts show that the majority of drugs come in right thru the border stations on trucks and in cars.

Since the facts show that illegal immigration slows a great deal when there are no jobs for them.

See: reduction in illegal immigration during 2008-09 economic crisis.

How about we take just a fraction of that 'national crisis' $$, maybe $1 billion, and invest it in investigating, identifying, and penalizing employers that hire illegals? Just think how far that much $$$ would go in actually controlling this?

 

[PTF]

Mr. President...declare the emergency...NOW !!!

 

[Mycroft]

if Trump declares a national emergency and pays for the wall out of funds that have already been approved by the Democrats for spending. Those dollars were not earmarked for anything in particular so they can be spent on anything. So, Congress does not have to approve additional spending for a wall.

The wall gets built. The Dems howl at the night sky. All the numbers move in the right direction.

Then Trump hits Congress with his next demands: End the lottery system. End people being able to bring in their entire extended families. Do something to resolve the Dreamer issue. Beef up immigration laws regarding visas and employers. Change the law regarding families. End birthright citizenship.

And we start the whole thing all over...and it results in the Dems howling at the night sky.