Sen. Rob Portman said Tuesday he agrees with President Donald Trump's plan for border security and thinks it is reasonable, but he thinks his declaration of a national emergency was the wrong way to go.
"I think it will set a bad precedent," the Ohio Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "Future presidents would be able to use a national emergency, going against the will of Congress for other issues...and second, it will get tied up on the courts, which everybody acknowledges."
Portman did not indicate which way he'd vote on a Senate resolution against Trump's declaration, but he does believe there is another way for Trump to get the money he wants for a border barrier, and that is to use other authorities that he has.
"I'm working with my colleagues and the administration to try to help get us to that point, where we can both fund what's necessary on the border, which I think is really important right now," said Portman.
He noted that his state is "getting ravaged" by drugs coming through the border, but he also does not want to see funding tied up in the courts.
"He has authority to be able to use existing congressional authorized funds rather than going to the emergency," said Portman. "The emergency just supplements what he is planning to use, some for border funds and DOD funds. Let's use more of those and fund the border priorities and get moving on protecting the southern border."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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