Griffith Statement on Declaration of National Emergency

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement in response to the declaration of national emergency by President Trump regarding the situation at the southern border:

“Since the National Emergencies Act was signed into law in 1976, presidents have used it dozens of times to declare national emergencies. For example, President George W. Bush issued a national emergency declaration in 2004 which in part prohibited the importation of certain goods from Liberia.

“If a president can declare a national emergency to implement a non-importation policy to influence a foreign country’s affairs, I believe a president has the authority to declare an emergency under the circumstances President Trump has. This declaration will help prevent the illegal trafficking into our country of deadly drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl, the illegal and inhuman trafficking of sex slaves, and other illegal actions being undertaken by Mexican cartels at the southern border.”