Terminate Trump's Unlawful Emergency Declaration

NEWARK, N.J. – Today, Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr., joined more than 225 Members of Congress to cosponsor a resolution to terminate President Trump’s unlawful, dangerous emergency declaration that would steal $51,200,000 of urgently needed New Jersey Department of Defense military construction funds, which are critical to the security of our nation and the well-being of our men and women in uniform and military families.

This privileged resolution would terminate the emergency declaration under the authority provided in the National Emergencies Act (NEA). The House will pass the resolution on Tuesday, after which it will be sent to the Senate and then to the President’s desk.

“The President’s emergency declaration was a desperate power grab that violates the Constitution and makes America less safe,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr.(NJ-10). “It’s egomaniacal and unlawful. The President failed to convince the American people or Congress to pay for his ineffective, wasteful, multi-billion-dollar concrete wall, and now he’s going outside the bounds of the law to try to make good on his campaign applause line. It is absolutely unacceptable that military families and New Jersey communities should be made to suffer from this unlawful, dangerous action.”

The President’s emergency declaration undermines the training, readiness and quality of life of our military and their families by potentially targeting the Hot Cargo Hydrant System Replacement Project, a $10,200,000 project at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, and the Munitions Disassembly Complex project, a $41,000,000 project at Picatinny Arsenal, both in New Jersey.

“These projects are critical to military development,” continued Rep. Payne, Jr. “It’s not about politics, as much as President Trump tries to make it. It’s about ensuring critical military construction projects aren’t gutted in order to build an ineffective, non-critical wall at the border. I am proud to join Members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans alike, to uphold the Constitution, and defend our system of checks and balances. New Jersey families deserve leaders in Washington who will respect the Constitution and fight to defend our national security.”