VOA常速英语:为建造边境墙 特朗普不排除宣布进入紧急状态的可能

President Trump at the southern border seeking to deliver on his central campaign promise of a border wall with Mexico. But with Democrats in Congress firmly opposed to the wall, Trump continues to consider declaring a national emergency to fund it. I have the absolute legal right to call it, but I’m not looking to do that because this is too simple. The Democrats should say we want border security. We have to build a wall. Otherwise, you can’t have border security and we should get on with our lives.
Some Republicans believe that may be a way out of the government shutdown, including Senator Lindsey Graham. It seems to me the only way left is for him to exercise that authority. I don’t see any action in the Congress.

Yet Democrats opposed an emergency declaration including Maryland Congressman Anthony Brown. The use of these authorities like the deployment of our troops to the border is irresponsible, unnecessary and misguided. Mr. Speaker, we don’t have a crisis on the border. We have a crisis in the Oval Office.
Presidents generally have a lot of leeway to declare a national emergency, says analyst John Hudak. The president has a fairly broad power to declare a national emergency, according to a pretty firm reading of that law. It’s hard to see where there is an exception to the president’s ability to do it.
But Hudak notes there are constitutional limits on the president’s power. Presidents have tried to go around Congress in terms of spending money in the past, and frequently presidents are stopped because the spending power in the Constitution rests with the Congress.
Public opinion polls show more Americans blame Trump for the shutdown than opposition Democrats, but the president remains focused on his political base, says Larry Sabato. This isn’t going to end until at least parts of Trump’s base agree to go along, or say, well, you tried your best. Those darn Democrats just won’t give in.
Trump’s strategy involves high political risk, says John Hudak. President Trump is playing to his base here, but unfortunately his base is a small percentage of the population, and most of the rest of the population is not with him on this issue of the wall.
Trump is counting that his commitment to building the wall will shore up his political base for his re-election bid next year.
Jim Malone VOA news Washington.