Press Releases

WASHINGTON, DC—Today Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) will vote for H.J. Res. 46, a bipartisan privileged resolution to terminate President Trump’s unlawful emergency declaration, introduced by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX) with 233 cosponsors. 
 
“President Trump’s unconstitutional national emergency declaration sets a dangerous precedent that is far outside of what our nation’s founders intended. The power of the purse belongs to the 535 elected members of Congress. It is both unlawful and extremely dangerous for a President of either party to fabricate an emergency and bypass Congress,” said Pingree. “It’s particularly concerning that the President has given himself the authority to take money away from critical military construction projects already approved by Congress, including four multi-million dollar projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.”
 
The National Emergency Act includes a process by which Congress can terminate a national emergency through expedited legislative procedures by approving a joint resolution. Once the joint resolution passes the House, it will go to the Senate with an expedited timeline. Senate Majority Leader McConnell cannot stop this joint resolution from coming to the floor of the Senate for a vote.
 
The vote is expected to take place today between 5pm-6pm.