Tag: Emergency

The effort is being led by Yvette Cooper, a senior Labour MP, and Sir Oliver Letwin, a Tory former minister, who want to get their one-line bill through the House of Commons in just one day on Wednesday. Where next for Brexit? 1 April MPs rejected all indicative votes 3 April More indicative votes Another meaningful vote Cooper (business motion) Clear result Passes Passes Rejected Commons debate Possible runoff with May’s deal Passes Lords debate MPs’ choice wins May’s deal wins Passes Government goes back to Brussels May makes plan for article 50 extension Passes 10 April Possible extension Leave after short extension Brussels approves at EU summit 12 April No-deal exit Revoke article 50 Extend article 50 23 May UK takes part in EU elections Second referendum Renegotiate with EU General election 1 April MPs rejected all indicative votes 3 April More indicative votes Another meaningfulvote Cooper (Business motion) Passes Clear result Passes Rejected Commons debate Passes Possible runoff with May’s deal Lords debate MPs’ choice wins Passes May’s deal wins May makes plan for article 50 extension Government goes back to Brussels Passes 10 April Leave after short extension Brussels approves at EU summit Possible extension 12 April No-deal exit Revoke article 50 Extend article 50 23 May UK takes part in EU elections Second referendum Renegotiate with EU General election Guardian graphic An amendment passed by MPs last week gives them the power to take control of the order paper on certain dates, which they are hoping will give parliament time to debate and pass the bill before May attends an EU summit in Brussels next Wednesday. This is the natural point at which the prime minister would have to request an extension to article 50 in order to stop the UK crashing out without a deal on April 12. Cooper said the government could decide how long an extension to propose. 3 April 2019 Parliament debates again Parliament may decide to have another set of indicative votes - possibly on the paper will be a compromise option that combines a customs union with a confirmatory public vote. 4 April 2019 Another meaningful vote? EU leaders would decide how long at a summit on this date. However, if Brexit has been further delayed, the UK would hold European elections on the Thursday. Cooper and Letwin brought forward their legislation against no deal after MPs failed to alight on a consensus for an alternative to May’s Brexit deal in indicative votes on Monday. A source close to the Independent Group said there was a real risk that a win for a customs union in the House of Commons could have scuppered the chances of a new poll and that referendum supporters had already compromised by supporting the indicative votes process, which put their preferred option at risk.

Tusk says EU will only give the UK a short article 50 extension if MPs pass the Brexit deal. In the Commons Barclay says Labour has not said what length extension it wants. Streeting says the same cannot be said for Barclay, who urged MPs to back the government motion last week proposing an article 50 extension only to vote against it himself. (@Peston) Senior minister tells me PM is making statement to nation tonight. Hmmm In Brussels some EU officials are now saying that EU leaders will not even take a decision about extending article 50 tomorrow - because Theresa May sent her letter too late. (@DanielBoffey) Senior EU diplomats expect Donald Tusk when he speaks in 20 minutes to say that the late delivery of Theresa May's letter makes it impossible to make a decision tomorrow at the summit. (@nick_gutteridge) Senior EU diplomat: May's letter has arrived 'too late' for EU leaders to make a decision on an Article 50 extension at tomorrow's summit. “No decision will be taken by France before the European council,” a source in Macron’s office said. The French foreign minister has said categorically that Paris could say no to May’s request for an extension if the prime minister does not set out a clear plan for the withdrawal agreement to be ratified by parliament. Donald Tusk, the president of the European council, will make a statement about Brexit later, at 4pm UK time.

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday issued his first veto, rejecting legislation to overturn his declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall along the southwestern border. The bill had attracted significant Republican support in Congress, a rare and notable departure from partisan solidarity. “Today, I am vetoing this resolution,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Mr. Barr said the president’s emergency order was “clearly authorized under the law” and “solidly grounded in law.” The veto, which was expected, will send the legislation back to Congress, which almost certainly does not have enough votes for an override. That means Mr. Trump’s declaration will remain in effect. “It is no surprise that the president holds the rule of law and our Constitution in minimal regard,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said in a statement. “There is no emergency; Congress has refused to fund his wall multiple times; Mexico won’t pay for it; and a bipartisan majority in both chambers just voted to terminate his fake emergency.” To that, Speaker Nancy Pelosi added, “The House and Senate resoundingly rejected the president’s lawless power grab, yet the president has chosen to continue to defy the Constitution, the Congress and the will of the American people.” Mr. Trump has long insisted that there was a security and humanitarian crisis at the border with Mexico, an assertion that was undercut by Mr. Trump himself when he acknowledged that he could have waited to issue a declaration. On Thursday, a dozen Republicans joined Senate Democrats in voting to overturn Mr. Trump’s emergency declaration, 59 to 41. I said, ‘When I need your vote, I’m going to let you know.’ I didn’t need the vote because we all knew it was going to be a veto, and they’re not going to be able to override. The president said on Friday that there was nothing less than an “invasion” of the United States by migrants, and he added that so many of them had been apprehended that there was “nowhere left to hold all of the people that we’re capturing.” Even if Congress fails to override the veto, the emergency declaration is already drawing court challenges.

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday issued his first veto, rejecting legislation to overturn his declaration of a national emergency to fund a wall along the southwestern border. The bill had attracted significant Republican support in Congress, a rare and notable departure from partisan solidarity. “Today, I am vetoing this resolution,” Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. Mr. Barr said the president’s emergency order was “clearly authorized under the law” and “solidly grounded in law.” The veto, which was expected, will send the legislation back to Congress, which almost certainly does not have enough votes for an override. That means Mr. Trump’s declaration will remain in effect. “It is no surprise that the president holds the rule of law and our Constitution in minimal regard,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said in a statement. “There is no emergency; Congress has refused to fund his wall multiple times; Mexico won’t pay for it; and a bipartisan majority in both chambers just voted to terminate his fake emergency.” To that, Speaker Nancy Pelosi added, “The House and Senate resoundingly rejected the president’s lawless power grab, yet the president has chosen to continue to defy the Constitution, the Congress and the will of the American people.” Mr. Trump has long insisted that there was a security and humanitarian crisis at the border with Mexico, an assertion that was undercut by Mr. Trump himself when he acknowledged that he could have waited to issue a declaration. On Thursday, a dozen Republicans joined Senate Democrats in voting to overturn Mr. Trump’s emergency declaration, 59 to 41. I said, ‘When I need your vote, I’m going to let you know.’ I didn’t need the vote because we all knew it was going to be a veto, and they’re not going to be able to override. The president said on Friday that there was nothing less than an “invasion” of the United States by migrants, and he added that so many of them had been apprehended that there was “nowhere left to hold all of the people that we’re capturing.” Even if Congress fails to override the veto, the emergency declaration is already drawing court challenges.

With Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky joining three other Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina — in announcing he would support the measure, Democrats now have the 51 votes they need to secure passage and to force Mr. Trump to issue the first veto of his presidency. And while a veto is highly unlikely to be overturned, the congressional majority that forces it will stand as a powerful rejection of the tactics Mr. Trump has used to fulfill his top campaign promise to build a wall on the southern border — and will apparently be the first time since passage of the National Emergencies Act of 1976 that Congress has voted to overturn an emergency declaration. “I truly don’t see this as sending a message at all one way or the other about border security but rather about executive overreach.” Ross K. Baker, a political scientist and expert on Congress at Rutgers University, said passage of the resolution would amount to a “serious rebuke” of the president. Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, has urged the president to reconsider using military construction money to fund the wall. Democrats fumed at what they viewed as President George W. Bush’s expansive use of his executive powers; Republicans routinely accused President Barack Obama of exceeding his authority on issues like combating climate change and protecting certain classes of undocumented immigrants. But Mr. Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to fulfill a campaign promise to build the wall — issued after Congress denied him the money for it — strikes many lawmakers as a direct incursion on a power granted exclusively to Congress in the Constitution: the power of the purse. “Without question, the president’s order for more wall money contradicts the will of Congress and will, in all likelihood, be struck down by the Supreme Court,” Mr. Paul wrote. “In fact, I think the president’s own picks to the Supreme Court may rebuke him on this.” Mr. Trump’s emergency declaration — the first time a president has invoked powers under the National Emergencies Act after Congress denied funds — is a particularly thorny issue for Mr. McConnell. Like many of his conservative colleagues, he warned the president against setting a precedent that future Democratic presidents could seize as a means for carrying out stringent gun control policies or climate change controls. But it was Mr. McConnell, in a speech on the Senate floor, who announced Mr. Trump’s intent to declare a national emergency — and his support for the president’s decision.

A coalition of 16 US states led by California has launched legal action against Donald Trump’s administration over his decision to declare a national emergency in order to fund a wall along the Mexico border. The lawsuit was filed on Monday in the US district court for the northern district of California after Trump invoked emergency powers on Friday when Congress declined his request for $5.7bn to help create his signature policy promise. His move aims to let him spend money appropriated by Congress for other purposes. “Today, on Presidents Day, we take President Trump to court to block his misuse of presidential power,” California attorney general Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “We’re suing President Trump to stop him from unilaterally robbing taxpayer funds lawfully set aside by Congress for the people of our states. For most of us, the Office of the Presidency is not a place for theatre,” added Becerra, a Democrat. In a budget deal passed by Congress to avert a second government shutdown, nearly $1.4bn was allocated to border fencing. Earlier, Trump had said he knew that he did not need to declare an emergency to build the wall, a comment that could now undercut the government’s legal argument. “Presidents don’t go in and claim declarations of emergency for the purposes of raiding accounts because they weren’t able to get Congress to fund items,” Becerra said on MSNBC. Play Video 1:43

Chanda McGuffin, Co-founder of RISE, said the conversation was long overdue. said McGuffin. On Monday, McGuffin said Augusta County Democratic Committee Chair, Frank Nolen wrote a Facebook post that he did not believe the picture on Northam's yearbook page was racist. "A picture of a white man and black man standing together as brothers is not racism. "A picture of a klansman and black man standing together means to me reconciliation." WHSV reached out to Nolen but he did not have further comment. The organizers of RISE have called on Nolen to step down. "For him to come out in favor of Northam is dishonoring to this area and the black community in this area," said McGuffin. Community members joined in the conversation, discussing the history of slavery and racism in America and activism. "The black voter is tired of getting put on the back burner."

Labour for a People’s Vote, the group that was instrumental in ensuring Brexit was discussed at Labour’s annual conference in September, is calling for a half-day recall for members to endorse a policy of backing a second referendum. It has the support of Labour MPs including Alex Sobel, Paul Williams and Anna McMorrin. Labour for a People’s Vote, which helped organise more than 100 local constituency Labour parties (CLPs) to submit motions to conference calling for a referendum, is now encouraging them to adopt a statement demanding a special conference. “Whether or not a vote of no confidence is tabled and a general election called for, Labour needs to move quickly to clarify our position on a public vote,” the motion says. “When the opportunity to lead presents itself, we believe the Labour party must be seen to take the initiative. Anti-Brexit campaigners are concerned that Labour backed away from tabling a full-blown motion of no confidence in the government on Monday in part to avoid being trapped into supporting a referendum. Instead, Corbyn tabled a vote of no confidence in the prime minister, which has no formal status under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. That means the government is not obliged to set aside time to debate it, and even if it lost it would not bring down the government. Corbyn’s spokesman has insisted the confidence motion does not imply automatic support for a referendum, even if a vote of no confidence is lost. Other opposition parties, including the Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru, have tabled a full-blown no confidence motion, challenging Corbyn to add his signature – without which it will not be discussed until the new year.

The European council president, Donald Tusk, told May last month that he needed to see “maximum progress” by this week’s European council meeting of leaders on the issue of avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland. A Brexit summit to finalise the terms of the political declaration on a future trade relationship has been pencilled in for the weekend of 17-18 November, in the event the negotiating teams find a compromise position on avoiding a hard border. EU sources said they had expected the summit to be a sombre ceremonial event. In response to concerns over May’s ability to hold her government together and push through a deal, however, the EU is now planning an alternative use for the November summit should it be required. The bloc’s deputy chief negotiator, Sabine Weyand, had told EU ambassadors gathering in Luxembourg on Friday that talks were progressing well, and that results might be made public as early as Monday. A leaked EU planning document, obtained by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, noted: “Deal made, nothing made public (in theory).” May’s volatile domestic situation remains the greatest risk to a deal. A senior EU diplomat said: “Preparations on contingency are really advancing in almost all member states. We’re going to do this anyhow whatever the outcome because even if there’s a positive outcome [this week] we’ll still need to continue preparedness and contingency because we can never exclude the possibility that negotiations will break down at a later stage”, the same source said. The EU has proposed that if a trade deal or bespoke technological solution was not at hand by the end of the transition period, Northern Ireland would in effect stay in the single market and customs union as the rest of the UK withdraws. She is instead proposing a temporary EU-UK customs union, and for Northern Ireland to stay in the single market, should that be agreed at a later date by Stormont.