Despite not usually being the most adept thinkers, Republicans, unlike Democrats, at least attempt ideological consistency. That’s why they’re now tripping all over the supposed “executive overreach” question posed by President Trump’s emergency declaration on the border.
The Washington Post last week reported that “Trump’s bid to circumvent Congress puts GOP lawmakers … in the position of having to choose between their party’s leader and their self-described opposition to executive overreach.”
The Post counts 17 Republican senators who have “concerns,” including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who warned that “a future president may use this exact same tactic to impose the Green New Deal.”
It’s a ridiculous comparison, given that the Green New Deal is a moist liberal dream that would permanently cripple the American economy, forever reducing the standard of living for the middle class. The construction of more border wall, by contrast, erects some steel bars in limited areas of perhaps four states. The Green New Deal would disrupt every American life and business every single day. Wall barriers just sit there, and you’re welcome to take a photo with them at no charge if you like.
The border emergency gives Trump authority to cobble together a small amount of money already allocated to the executive branch and direct it for more wall, a structure that you’re free to ignore or perhaps lean against for some shade during a nice springtime hike.
Congressional Republicans who wailed about former President Barack Obama governing by executive action might be duped into thinking that Trump’s national emergency is a similar end run around Congress to secure money for more wall construction. They’re wrong.
Obama’s own brand of “executive overreach” wasn’t a matter of small bits of money for an unassuming project. Instead, he took established laws intended to apply to everyone and carved out exceptions to make them fit his personal preferences. This is how Obama was able to effectively create a new class of illegal immigrants known as DACA recipients without any new law passed by Congress. This the Oprah-like method he used to save a bunch of people from the Obamacare disaster: You get an exemption! You get an exemption! You get an exemption!
Democrats never bother themselves with the particulars of consistency because it would hurt to hold two conflicting ideas. They instead come up with a way to justify their naked power grabs.
Republicans don’t even have to do that with the border emergency. It’s not “executive overreach.”
