Arkansas' lawmakers stand with president

The four House members from Arkansas -- all Republicans -- supported President Donald Trump's border emergency declaration Tuesday, opposing congressional efforts to block it.

The lawmakers had voted Feb. 26 against a joint resolution that would have terminated Trump's national emergency.

On Tuesday, they voted against overriding Trump's veto.

All four said Trump had the authority to declare the emergency, which enabled him to shift federal funds to pay for his border wall, despite opposition from Congress.

"I'm not a big fan of the administration taking appropriated money and moving it from one area to another, but Congress yielded that power to the administration through the [National Emergencies] Act and I think the president was totally within his legal authority to do that," U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman of Hot Springs said in an interview.

As commander in chief, Trump is responsible "for the security and protection of our country, and I believe that he declared this emergency so he could carry out those duties," Westerman said. "I wish that Congress had voted to fund border security, but Congress didn't, so he resorted to the tools he had."

Westerman said he "wouldn't be opposed to going back and changing" the act "because I think it is a legislative duty to control the purse and decide where funds are spent."

In a speech on the House floor, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro defended the emergency declaration, saying Trump had acted "to protect our country."

"Make no mistake, there is a crisis at our southern border," Crawford told his colleagues, noting that 76,000 migrants were detained or turned away at the border in February. "The president attempted to remedy this crisis by declaring the emergency, an action well within his statutory authority and constitutional obligation."

In a written statement, U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock portrayed the situation on the southwestern border as "a humanitarian and security crisis."

"While I would prefer Congress appropriate the funds to combat this crisis, the fact is that the president does have the authority to reprogram funds in the defense of our nation, and their use would not undermine the priorities of our military and law enforcement," Hill added.

In a written statement, U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers criticized Democrats for opposing Trump's efforts.

"Instead of working to secure and get operational control of our borders, Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi and House Democrats continue to prioritize obstructionism over effective policy," he said. "It's a bad strategy -- which is exactly why their latest effort to deny the American people a secure border failed."

Members of Arkansas United , which describes itself as Arkansas' "first immigrants' rights organization," said they were disappointed by the delegation's stand.

"When it comes down to the wire, they're still making partisan votes and aligning with a president who is not offering solutions," said the group's executive director, Mireya Reith.

A Section on 03/27/2019