Trump poised to declare national emergency

PRESIDENT DONALD Trump has indicated he is prepared to sign the US government funding bill and will also issue a national emergency decree regarding the Mexican border, a leading Republican has said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the US Senate will soon vote on the bill that is needed to avoid a partial federal shutdown.

The compromise measure will keep government departments running through the fiscal year but without the $5.7bn Mr Trump wanted for his controversial plan for a border wall with Mexico.

The House is also expected to vote on the bill later.

Mr Trump’s assent would end a raucous legislative saga that commenced before Christmas and saw Mr Trump force a record 35day partial US federal shutdown.

Mr McConnell also said he would support Mr Trump’s emergency declaration, a change in stance from the Republican politician, who like Democrats and many fellow Republicans had opposed such a declaration.

The emergency declaration will present the likelihood of fresh conflict between Congress and Mr Trump over his ongoing efforts to build barriers along the boundary with Mexico.

Opponents have said there is no crisis at the border and Mr Trump is merely side-stepping Congress.

The Republican-controlled Senate began voting on the agreement on Wednesday, and passage by that chamber and the Democratic-led Congress seemed certain.

Mr Trump had signalled he would sign the bill but it was unclear until Mr McConnell’s

announcement if he would do so, prompting some politicians to voice concern. “Let’s all pray that the President will have wisdom to sign the bill so the government doesn’t shut down,” said Senator Charles Grassley, chiming in after a guest chaplain opened Thursday’s session.

Mr Trump’s assent would end a raucous legislative saga that commenced before Christmas and was ending, almost fittingly, on Valentine’s Day. The low point was the historically long 35-day partial federal shutdown, which Mr Trump,

inset, sparked and was in full force when Democrats took control of the House, compelling him to share power for the first time.

Mr Trump yielded on the shutdown on January 25 after public opinion turned against him and congressional Republicans.

It was a political fiasco for Mr Trump and an early triumph for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Mr Trump made building a wall on the southern border his signature policy in his 2016 successful election campaign against Hillary Clinton.

The recent deadlock comes as Democrats hoping to challenge for the White House in 2020 have started to declare their intention to seek the party’s nomination.

Earlier Mr Trump said he was “unhappy” with a hard-won agreement to prevent a new government shutdown and finance construction of more barriers along the USMexico border, but he did not say he would not sign the measure.

Republican congressional leaders swung behind the proposed deal, selling it as a necessary compromise. Republicans and the White House were desperate to avoid another bruising shutdown.

The White House confirmed Mr Trump plans to sign the bill averting the partial government shutdown at the end of the week.

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Mr Trump will also take “other executive action – including a national emergency” as he seeks to keep his border wall pledge.