Originally published on February 19, 2019 12:42 pm
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is planning to join at least 10 other states in a lawsuit that will try to stop President Donald Trump from using an emergency declaration to build a border wall.
On Monday afternoon, Weiser was the lead speaker at a protest against the emergency declaration held at the state Capitol.
He said the president’s attempt to gain access to billions of dollars in emergency funds for the wall on the southern border could end up costing Colorado tens of millions of dollars in funds for its military bases.
The states joining the lawsuit plan to challenge the constitutionality of Trump’s decision.
House source: At least $16bn in military projects on “potentially affected” list for @realDonaldTrump’s state of emergency. Three at Fort Carson Army post in Colorado. Vehicle maintenance shop ($77m) and two Special Ops projects for training and mountaineering ($24m).— Michael de Yoanna (@mdy1) February 19, 2019
“In Colorado, we will be on the side of the rule of law,” Weiser said as dozens of people holding anti-Trump signs cheered him on.
Many people in the crowd held signs labeling Trump’s emergency declaration a “fake emergency.”
After his speech, Weiser said he doesn’t think the legal action will be resolved soon.
“It’s going to go on for awhile, and ultimately as the President indicated, it will probably be decided by the (U.S.) Supreme Court,” Weiser said.
Gov. Jared Polis issued a joint statement with Weiser expressing support for legal action against the emergency declaration.
Meanwhile, supporters of the border wall have also been holding rallies around the country.
The Fresno Bee in Southern California reported about three dozen people came out to show their support for the president’s emergency declaration on Saturday.
High school senior Maddie Mueller told the paper the emergency declaration is the only way to fund the border wall.
The paper reported there was little to no backlash to the demonstration.
The emergency declaration the president signed said the southern border is “a major entry point for criminals, gang members, and illicit narcotics.”
Capitol Coverage is a collaborative public policy reporting project, providing news and analysis to communities across Colorado for more than a decade. Eleven public radio stations participate in Capitol Coverage from throughout Colorado.
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