#that goddamn wall

[verycleverboy]

Trump can't divert military funds for wall, federal appeals court says

The Trump administration doesn't have the authority to divert Pentagon funds to construct additional barriers on the US-Mexico border, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, days after President Donald Trump's visit to a section of the wall in Arizona.

The Trump administration doesn't have the authority to divert Pentagon funds to construct additional barriers on the US-Mexico border, a federal appeals court ruled Friday, days after President Donald Trump's visit to a section of the wall in Arizona.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals said that the transfer of $2.5 billion circumvented Congress, which holds the authority to appropriate money.

The legal fight over Defense Department funds stems from Trump's national emergency declaration on the US-Mexico border last year. Trump extended the declaration this past February, even as border arrests began to decline.

"The Executive Branch lacked independent constitutional authority to authorize the transfer of funds," wrote Chief Circuit Judge Sidney Thomas for the majority. "The panel noted that the Appropriations Clause of the U.S. Constitution exclusively grants the power of the purse to Congress. The panel held that the transfer of funds violated the Appropriations Clause, and, therefore, was unlawful."

While Friday's ruling is a win for the environmental groups and states challenging the use of military funds, a Supreme Court stay, issued last year that allows the funds to be used, remains in effect for the time being.

[verycleverboy]

Trump threatens government shutdown over border security, GOP disagrees

President Donald Trump said Sunday he'd be willing to shut down the government if Democrats refuse to vote for his immigration proposals.

Shut Down Volume 2

Republicans anxious about keeping control of Congress think it's a bad idea, but President Donald Trump still says he's willing to close the government over border security issues, including money he wants to build a promised U.S.-Mexico border wall.

"I would be willing to 'shut down' government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall!" Trump tweeted Sunday. "Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT!"

"We need great people coming into our Country!" Trump said.

Trump returned to the idea after a meeting at the White House last week with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., where they were said to have agreed on the way forward on government funding for the budget year that starts Oct. 1.

McConnell told a radio interviewer last week that a shutdown so close to the Nov. 6 midterm elections won't happen. McConnell acknowledged, however, that the border funding issue in particular was unlikely to be resolved before the balloting.

Ryan said on Capitol Hill after the meeting: "The president's willing to be patient to make sure that we get what we need so that we can get that done." He added that money for the wall was "not a question of if, it's a question of when."

The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment on what may have changed since the meeting.

Trump has pledged to campaign aggressively, starting after Labor Day, to help Republicans retain control of the House and Senate, but GOP lawmakers don't appear to be rallying to his side on this not-so-new idea.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said Sunday on CBS' "Face the Nation" that it would be unhelpful to shut down the government just before elections "so let's try and avoid it."

For context, the next funding deadline is September 30, with election day following on November 6.

Shut the government down weeks before a contentious midterm? What could possibly go wrong? Would it provoke a Republican bloodletting at the polls? Maybe he should do it just to see what happens. Just as a scientific experiment.

(muahahahahahahaha)