U.S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue today issued the following statement on the prospect of a national emergency declaration by the president:
"As long-time proponents of both immigration reform and greater border security, the Chamber shares in the frustration about the lack of legislative progress on both issues.
"Our nation’s founders created a system of lawmaking, of checks and balances that can be challenging and often frustrating. But it is also the system that protects our liberties and has fostered our prosperity. We have long fought against attempts by the executive branch to usurp the powers of Congress and to create law, such as we have seen in recent decades with the rise of the regulatory administrative state. We have also fought against attempts by the Congress to usurp the power of the executive. Our objective has always been to retain the balance of power as envisioned by the Constitution.
"The U.S. Chamber urges the president not to attempt to declare a national emergency. Instead, we urge the president and members of Congress of both parties to negotiate and find common ground on immigration and border security. The declaration of national emergency in this instance will create a dangerous precedent that erodes the very system of government that has served us so well for over 200 years."
