‘Emergency’ wall unconstitutional

The government shutdown has ended and hundreds of thousands of federal workers can at last be paid; however, it is important to be aware what may happen after Feb. 15, when another shutdown is possible if negotiations between the administration and House Democrats fail to produce a compromise.

Donald Trump and Sarah Huckabee Sanders have both made it clear Trump intends to build the wall Democrats refuse to fund by declaring a state of emergency. Let’s be clear about what is at stake: If Trump does this, it will be blatantly unconstitutional

and authoritarian. The executive branch will have refused to be restrained by the powers vested in the Congress by Article One of the Constitution. That will be an impeachable offense, and the Congress will be bound to act by the oaths its members took.

It is hoped someone with constitutional and historical knowledge will speak to Trump and explain his peril before Feb. 15. In the meantime, concerned Americans need to contact their congressional representatives, especially members of the Republican Party, and call on them to make it clear they will uphold their oaths in the face of Trump’s blatant assault on the Constitution.