POLITICS JANUARY 9, 2019 / 1:05 AM / UPDATED 26 MINUTES AGO

Trump claims right to declare border emergency, Democrats to test Republican resolve

Richard Cowan
5 MIN READ

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he has a right to declare a national emergency to build a wall on the southern border if no deal with Congress can be reached on funding the project, but Democrats plan to test Republicans’ resolve on the issue.

On the 19th day of a partial government shutdown caused by disagreement over the wall, Trump told reporters at the White House he may move forward with an emergency declaration if Republicans and Democrats cannot work together to resolve the funding standoff.

But House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her fellow Democrats plan to advance a bill to immediately reopen the Treasury Department, the Securities and Exchange Commission and several other agencies that have been partially shut down since Dec. 22.

Democrats are eager to force Republicans to choose between funding the Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service - at a time when it should be gearing up to issue tax refunds to millions of Americans - and voting to keep it partially shuttered.

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