WASHINGTON: On Friday, in an attempt to obtain funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, President Donald Trump edged closer to defying the power of the U.S. Congress by declaring a national emergency. At a White House event, Trump said that he might declare such an emergency because it did not appear that Democrats in Congress were moving towards a deal that would provide the money he wants to help fund the wall which Democrats broadly oppose. "I think there's a good chance that we'll have to do that", said Trump referring to the possibility of an emergency.
This week, Congress had launched a super committee on border security which is the latest stage of a long debate over one of Trump's biggest 2016 campaign in which he had promised a concrete border wall he once said Mexico would pay for. The super committee has a February15 deadline to craft a deal on border security satisfactory to both political parties and to Trump, who agreed last week to end a historic 35-day partial government shutdown and allow Congress to try again to find a way forward.
Negotiations within the super committee began on Monday. Lawmakers have adjourned for the weekend.