Tennessee lawmakers at odds over President Trump's national emergency declaration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — President Trump announced Friday that he will declare a national emergency in order to redirect federal funds toward the construction of a border wall with Mexico.

Democratic and even some Republican lawmakers voiced concern about his move to bypass Congress.

In an interview Friday, Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) told NewsChannel 9 that after doing some research into the president's decision, he's not concerned.

"Initially I was concerned. But, there's a 1976 statute asking presidents to do this," says Rep. Fleischmann. "Democratic and Republican presidents have done this under existing law. Part of it is the national emergency, part of it is the reprogramming of funds. I was looking for the constitutional authority on that - we found it in a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, so everything he has done so far is consistent with the rule of law."

Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) says he is concerned with the declaration. In a statement, he called the decision "unnecessary, unwise and inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution."

Alexander also says the move could set a precedent for future presidents to declare national emergencies on things like climate change and healthcare, or even to tear down the wall.

White House officials said Friday that the president's decision to declare a national emergency over border security will free up about $8 billion for a border wall.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the president's move "unlawful." Earlier this week, she said she would consider a legal challenge against his declaration.

You can read Sen. Alexander's full statement below:

"United States Senator Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) today released the following statement after President Trump announced a national emergency on the Southern border:

“The president has made a strong case for increased border security, but declaring a national emergency is unnecessary, unwise and inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution. It is unnecessary because significant additional money already has been approved by Congress that he could spend on border security without declaring a national emergency. In fact, the president announced today that he would spend $3 billion of this additional funding to fund construction of the border wall. This $3 billion is in addition to the $22 billion Congress appropriated on Thursday for detention beds, technology, border patrol agents, ports of entry, replacing existing wall and 55 miles of new wall.

“It is unwise because if this president can declare a national emergency to build a wall, the next president can declare a national emergency to tear it down; or declare a climate change emergency to close coal plants and build wind turbines; or a health care emergency and force into Medicare the 180 million Americans with health insurance on the job.

“It is inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution because, after the American Revolution against a king, our founders chose not to create a chief executive with the power to tax the people and spend their money any way he chooses. The Constitution gives that authority exclusively to a Congress elected by the people.”

Alexander voted yesterday for legislation that Congress passed and the president will sign that made a “significant down payment on border security.” That new law included $22 billion for border security, which includes 55 new miles of physical barrier or wall on the southern border, an increase of 5,000 detention beds, funding for technology and more border agents and funding to secure the ports of entry, through which so much of the illegal drug traffic travels."