National emergency is a crisis against reason, law

Now that President Donald Trump declared a national emergency (Feb. 15, “Unhappy with Deal, Trump to Declare State of National Emergency”) in order to get more of the border wall built, we are about to learn two things about Republicans in Congress. The first is whether or not reality matters to them. The second is whether or not the rule of law matters to them.

The reality is that with border crossings at or near an all-time low. there is no national emergency other than the crisis caused by the current administration in separating children from their families. Even if there were a border crisis, an expensive wall wouldn’t make a dent in it. This is the view of David Bier of the libertarian Cato Institute in his article “Why the Wall Won’t Work.”

If Republicans in Congress don’t go along with Democrats in opposing the bogus national emergency, they will be telling America and the world that reality does not matter to them. If the president says up is down, that will be good enough for them.

Since declaring a national emergency in order to get funding already denied by Congress would be unconstitutional, anyone in Congress not opposing this violation of the Constitution would be saying that he or she does not value the rule of law.

The crisis being produced by Mr. Trump is a crisis against reason and a crisis against the rule of law. Soon we will learn if Republicans in Congress will defend reason and the law, or go along with the president.