Sen. Ron Johnson, Wisconsin Republican, on Sunday said President Trump’s move to declare a national emergency on the southern border is part of a trend where Congress has seen itself become the weakest of the three branches of the federal government.
He said his preference would have been to provide for wall funding through the legislative process, but he said he does not think Mr. Trump’s move is unconstitutional.
“No, I don’t think so,” Mr. Johnson said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “Again, it’s certainly the expansion of authority Congress has given past presidents - this president has the same authority. I wish he wouldn’t use it in this case, but again, I understand his frustration.”
“I think many of us are concerned about this,” said Mr. Johnson, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. “I think Congress, past Congresses have given any executive, any administration way too much power. And this would be another expansion of that power.”
He said there should be three “co-equal” branches of government in the legislative, executive and judicial branches.
“Right now, the presidency is probably the most powerful, and then the courts,” he said. “And Congress is really diminished. And we should start taking back that congressional authority.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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