Readers React: Trump sets the stage for a Democratic president to declare a climate change emergency

To the editor: All liberal Democrats should want the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm that President Trump can declare an emergency and fund the border wall without congressional approval.

When a Democrat is elected president, on Day 1 she should declare an emergency and fund climate change measures — say, for $500 billion — by citing the potential ruling on the Trump emergency.

Ronald Townsend, Los Angeles

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To the editor: Once again, I find myself deeply disappointed with my fellow Republicans in the White House and Congress.

When it suits their needs, they like to spout off about their support for the ideals laid out by our founders. I think we can agree that freedom and liberty were central pillars of their new republic. I also believe that underlying these principles was something much more fundamental — the people who just freed themselves from an English king did not want to see an American one elected.

We benefit from the framers’ establishment of checks and balances in government. Now we are making a conscious decision to throw those safeguards away, and the Republicans support our president taking another step toward autocracy.

There is no immigration crisis; even the president admitted he declared an emergency out of expediency. I’m asking my fellow Republicans in Congress to welcome the support of Democrats in resisting this move that is nothing more than an attempt to subvert the power and responsibility of Congress.

Thomas Sexton, Huntington Beach

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To the editor: California already enjoys the benefits of what the president wants to provide to states that have far fewer miles of barrier on their border with Mexico.

Almost all of California’s border with Mexico already has a physical barrier and other means of limiting unauthorized crossings into the Golden State, so it is understandable how Gov. Gavin Newsom or Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra could claim there is no emergency. However, as the governor left about 100 National Guard personnel on the border to help with drug interdiction, his actions contradict his words.

If the “wall” is un-American or immoral, then why did many Democrats vote to fund barriers under past presidents? But then the Democrats and other “Never Trumpers” would find something to dispute if the president said water was wet.

Chris Daly, Yucaipa

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To the editor: I live in Los Angeles. The emergency I see is the homelessness problem. I don’t live near the southern border, so I cannot speak to that problem.

I say, spend the billions on fixing homelessness. If we are going to be great, that is where we need to start.

Sonny Wizelman, Los Angeles

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