News Analysis |
There has been a government shutdown in the United States of America for last 22 days, making it the longest in country’s history, after Congress and President Trump reached a deadlock over $5 billion worth wall which Donald Trump wants to build at Mexico border. In a tweet, President Donald Trump took a dig at Democrats who now control the House. “Democrats should come back to Washington and work to end the Shutdown, while at the same time ending the horrible humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border. I am in the White House waiting for you!” he tweeted.
Democrats should come back to Washington and work to end the Shutdown, while at the same time ending the horrible humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border. I am in the White House waiting for you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
Trump also urged his 57.2 million Twitter followers to contact Democratic lawmakers and “Tell them to get it done!”
Democrats could solve the Shutdown in 15 minutes! Call your Dem Senator or Congresswoman/man. Tell them to get it done! Humanitarian Crisis.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2019
What is a Government Shutdown?
It is not the first and certainly not the last government shutdown in the United States of America. A government shutdown occurs when the nonessential offices of the government are closed due to lack of approval on the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Approval is reached if Congress passes all of the spending bills regarding the federal budget.
Declaring a state of emergency is a presidential prerogative which, once imposed, allows him to bypass many checks which are placed in normal scenario over his authority.
If an agreement is not achieved, a government shutdown closes many federally run operations which are deemed as nonessential. It results in thousands of federal employees not getting paid which, if stretched, could become a problem as it includes certain crucial jobs such as that of FBI agents.
Many of the employees have called in sick amid the current scenario which has left the airline industry as most vulnerable since the majority of the security staff has been temporarily laid off. The private sector might also be affected by a government shutdown and the economy can lose money as a result of the disruption in operations.
Options for President Trump
Building a wall alongside the U.S border with Mexico has been one of the most famous campaign slogans of Donald Trump. He has always maintained that it will be Mexican side that will be paying for it. Ultimately, it has turned out to be the U.S taxpayers’ pockets that would have to take the burden if a wall is to be built.
Read more: US govt. shutdown becomes longest in history
Democrats in Congress– who call a wall an ineffective, outdated answer to a complex problem– have passed several bills to reopen the government without funding for Trump’s barrier. But the legislation has been ignored by the Republican-controlled Senate. Since Congress and especially Democrats are not in a mood to allow such extravagance, President Donald Trump has the option to declare a state of emergency.
Declaring a state of emergency is a presidential prerogative which, once imposed, allows him to bypass many checks which are placed in normal scenario over his authority. A national emergency would allow Trump to divert money from other projects to pay for the wall, which was a central promise of his 2016 campaign.
Right now both sides are not showing any flexibility but once, and if, President Trump imposes emergency, there would not be much Democrats could do about it.
That, in turn, could prompt him to sign bills that restore funding to agencies that have been affected by the shutdown. In case of emergency, most likely the funds kept in for disaster relief are to be utilized for the purpose of building the wall under discussion as suggested by some faction of the U.S media. But sources close to President Trump deny any such plan under discussion and his aide/son-in-law Jared Kushner has reportedly advised against declaring the state of emergency.
President Trump says that he is not going to impose emergency just yet as he wants the Congress to “do the right thing”. Trump said on Friday he would not declare a national emergency “right now” to end a standoff over border security that has idled about a quarter of the US government.
Read more: Democrats seize US House control, but shutdown impasse remains
Right now both sides are not showing any flexibility but once, and if, President Trump imposes emergency, there would not be much Democrats could do about it.