The 21 Series: Susan Collins — Trump’s Move A Mistake

(2/15/2019 emailed 21 Republican Senators up for re-election in 2020)

Trump declared a fictional national emergency today — a declaration made by his ego to appease an ever shrinking number of right wing supporters. The response from principled Democrats was immediate and strong. Now is the time for you to join with Democrats to oppose this move. Listen to one of your own eloquently lay out the danger of this move.

Sen. Susan Collins called Trump’s declaration a “mistake” in a statement Friday. Collins also argued that the National Emergencies Act, which Trump invoked, was only “intended to apply to major natural disasters or catastrophic events, such as the attacks on our country.”

“Such a declaration would undermine the role of Congress and the appropriations process; it’s just not good policy. It also sets a bad precedent for future Presidents — both Democratic and Republican — who might seek to use this same maneuver to circumvent Congress to advance their policy goals. It is also of dubious constitutionality, and it will almost certainly be challenged in the courts,” Collins said.

Ann Coulter was more blunt and said, “The only national emergency is that our president is an idiot.” The polls support her — earlier this month a CNN poll showed Americans oppose, by a more than 2-to-1 margin, Trump using a national emergency declaration to build a border wall.

Now the ball is in your court; stand with Democrats and vote to overrule this declaration. To not do so will seal the fate of Republican senators in 2020. None of you will be returning to office.