California’s governor and attorney general say they will probably sue President Donald Trump over his emergency declaration to fund a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump is looking to divert nearly $6.6 billion from government projects including a military construction budget, a Defense Department drug prevention program, and the Treasury Department’s drug forfeiture fund. In addition, Trump will use the $1.3 billion Congress gave him in a compromise funding bill to allocate towards the wall, totaling around an $8 billion budget.
"We have so much money we don’t know what to do with it," Trump said. "I don’t know what to do with all the money they’re giving us."
During a press conference at the state capital just hours after Trump made his announcement, Governor Gavin Newsom firmly stated that he is taking steps to make good on Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra's promise last week "to reject this foolish proposal in court the moment it touches the ground."
Becerra says there is no emergency at the border and Trump doesn’t have the authority to make the declaration.
“Fortunately Donald Trump is not the last word,” Newsom said. “The courts will be the last word.”
The announcement was immediately met with resistance from members of Congress.California has repeatedly challenged Trump in court. Becerra has filed at least 45 lawsuits against the administration. Now, the attorney general is working to develop a legal argument to prepare for court.
“No one in America is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” Becerra stated. “He can’t do this, because the U.S. Constitution gives Congress, not the president the powers to direct dollars, the powers of the purse.”