To the Editor:
Eighty-five percent of the time I will disagree with Dusty Johnson on policy. As a liberal in what has become a "red state," I'm used to disagreeing with folks.
On precedent, constitutionality, and principle, Johnson was absolutely right to vote against an emergency declaration to fund the wall at the southern border. I have less hope Mike Rounds and John Thune will do the same. In the past two years, they have proven they hold their party higher than their country.
National emergencies and emergency declarations have been used before. However, each time emergency powers have been invoked since 1976, the year Congress enacted the National Emergencies Act (which Trump is using), none involved a president making a run around lawmakers to spend money on a project for which they had decided against funding. This is new territory. Trump was told "no" by Congress and is now trying to circumvent Congress. This is problematic but unsurprising coming from a man who has never been told no in his life. Even when told no, he "grabs" what he wants.
Congress has the "power of the purse" and they decide what gets funded and what doesn't. In a day and age where we are consumed by the current social media climate and the next week rather than the next decade, Johnson voted for keeping Pandora's box closed.
ADVERTISEMENT
For everyone supporting a wall and a national emergency today, I suspect these same folks would send in many letters to your publication expressing their discontent at a national
emergency declared by a Democrat occupant of the Oval Office, curbing gun rights and ownership.
Unless Billie Sutton runs against him, I'll be voting Johnson when he runs for re-election. This was a vote for country, not party and I respect his vote and Johnson for it.
David Steele
Forestburg
