Washington Gov. Jay Inslee warned Republicans on Sunday that the Democratic Party will govern by the standard set by President Trump’s emergency declaration for border security, especially on the issue of climate change, if the GOP majority in the Senate don’t fight it.
Trump declared a national emergency on the border with Mexico on Feb. 15, after Congress refused to give him the funding he had requested to build a border wall. Sixteen states, not including Washington, filed a lawsuit last week against the Trump administration over the order that would divert billions of dollars from the military for the project.
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House Democrats have set a Tuesday vote to advance a resolution to reject Trump’s declaration. The measure is expected to easily pass in the Democratic-controlled House. In the Senate, Democrats need four Republicans to defect to put it on Trump’s desk. Trump said Friday he would “100 percent” veto the measure.
“Republicans ought to stand up on their hind legs, because they took an oath to the Constitution, not to Donald Trump, and reverse this decision,” Inslee, a Democrat, told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday.
“But if there are new rules, the Republicans have to understand that Democrats will play by whatever the rules are, particularly when it comes to climate change,” he said.
Inslee, who has teased a possible 2020 campaign, also said during the interview that he could announce his decision as soon as this week.
“People want a president that will act on a real emergency, which is climate change,” he said. “[Americans] need a president who will rally the nation to a clean energy economy, jobs by the millions, and save this country from that damage.”
