Tom Udall: “to get this wall money, the President caused the longest government shutdown in our Nation. The shutdown caused hardship…”

“to get this wall money, the President caused the longest government shutdown in our Nation. The shutdown caused hardship for millions of Federal employees and lasting pain for thousands of Federal contractors, not to mention the millions of Americans who were denied services for 35 days--services they paid for with their tax dollars. I visited with New Mexicans hurt by the shutdown and it was very, very painful to hear their stories. In the end, Congress decided on a bipartisan basis not to spend the $5.7 billion the President demanded for his wall. He got $1.3 billion. I didn't want to see that much, and I wanted to see more restrictions as to specifically what it was going to be spent for, but it was a hard-fought compromise, and a deal is a deal. Congress's determination should have ended the debate for this fiscal year, the year that we are in. Now the President is asking Congress for $8.6 billion for the border wall next year. That is his prerogative, but make no mistake, it is not only Congress's prerogative, it is Congress's constitutional responsibility to decide if he gets that money. As the old saying goes, the President proposes and Congress disposes. President Trump is being treated no differently than all previous Presidents. That is how our constitutional system works--or at least how it is supposed to work. The President's emergency declaration is an end run around Congress, plain and simple.…”