President Joe Biden has decided to rescind the national emergency order used to fund Donald Trump’s border wall.
In a letter to Congress on February 11, President Biden wrote that the order was “unwarranted” and said that no further tax dollars will be spent on the wall.
The former president declared a state of emergency over the southern border in 2019, which allowed him to bypass Congress and use military funds for its construction.
When Donald Trump left office, about $25 billion had been spent on the project.
The announcement from President Biden is the latest in a series of executive orders that have rolled back key parts of the former president’s agenda.
Last week, Joe Biden signed orders seeking to reunite migrant families split up by Trump-era policies, and ordered a probe of his predecessor’s immigration agenda.
In a letter on February 11, President Biden wrote that he would also seek a review of “all resources appropriated or redirected” to the construction of the wall.
Building a border wall was a signature pledge of Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
However, the project faced strong opposition in the Democratic-controlled House, and the Republican president announced he would use emergency powers to fund its construction.
An emergency declaration allows US presidents to circumvent the usual political process and to access military funding.
Various types of fencing totaling 654 miles were already in place before Donald Trump became president in 2017.
During his time in office, 80 miles of new barriers were built where there were none before, and almost 400 miles replaced existing parts of the structure.
Former Trump campaign advisor Jason Miller took to Twitter to comment on the decision, writing “Biden loves illegal immigration”.
However, some parts of the Trump administration’s immigration policy will be left in place.
At a press conference on February 10, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki appeared to confirm the new administration would keep a Trump-era policy that allowed border officials to summarily expel undocumented immigrants amid the coronavirus pandemic.
She said: “Due to the pandemic and the fact that we have not had the time, as an administration, to put in place a humane, comprehensive process for processing individuals who are coming to the border.
“Now is not the time to come, and the vast majority of people will be turned away.”
US markets closed lower on August 23, sliding back after President Donald Trump gave a fiery speech suggesting more political drama lies ahead.
At a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, on August 22, President Trump said he would be willing to shut down the government if Congress resists funding the Mexican border wall.
The president also said he was still considering terminating the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Investors are also concerned about the prospect of political fights next month, when Congress will be considering a budget proposal and are likely to be asked to raise the debt limit.
In 2013, a fight over the debt limit led to a government shutdown that disrupted the US economy, particularly in states closely tied to the federal government and its contractors.
Economists say scrapping NAFTA would also hurt business in the US, which counts Canada and Mexico among its biggest trade partners.
Retailer Lowe’s fell 3.7% after reporting lower than expected growth in the quarter.
United Technologies bounced 1.1% after a report suggested that it may be the target of activist investors.
President Donald Trump says he is willing to close down the US government if necessary to build his wall along the Mexico border.
He told supporters at a “Make America Great Again” rally in Phoenix, Arizona, that the opposition Democrats were being “obstructionist”.
During the 80-minute speech, President Trump also took aim at the media, blaming them for giving far right groups “a platform”.
However, Donald Trump selectively quoted his initial response to violence at a far-right rally that left one woman dead.
The president omitted the much-criticized claim that “many sides” had to shoulder the blame for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
He wants Congress to finance his controversial plan to build a “big, beautiful” wall along the United States’ border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.
However, Republicans will need the support of Democrats to secure funding for the wall in a government spending bill, which they are unlikely to get.
In his speech, President Trump said the Democrats were “putting all of America’s safety at risk” by opposing the wall. He said immigration officers who worked in the area said it was “vital” to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
He said that, if it came to it, he would risk a government shutdown – which is what happens when legislation funding the federal government cannot be passed by Congress and non-essential services stop.
“Now the obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it, but believe me if we have to close down our government, we are building that wall,” President Trump said, adding that “the American people voted for immigration control”.
If he wants a government shutdown all he has to do is refuse to sign a funding bill sent to him by Congress.
Capitol Hill is set to debate a new budget measure this autumn, and unless it is passed federal operations will be in limbo by October 1.
Donald Trump attacked the media in the campaign-style speech, saying reporters had misrepresented his “perfect” words in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, where Heather Heyer was killed after a car ploughed into a crowd of people protesting against far-right demonstrators including neo-Nazis.
The president accused “truly dishonest people in the media and the fake media” of “trying to take away our history and heritage” because, he said, they “don’t like our country”.
Donald Trump quoted his first public response to the violence on August 12, which was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for not clearly condemning the far-right.
He said: “This is what I said on Saturday: <<We’re closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia,>> – this is me speaking. <<We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence.>> That’s me speaking on Saturday, right after the event.”
However, the president’s full quote was: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.”
Separately, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has criticized the US for what it said was a “failure at the highest political level” to reject “racist violent events”.
Referring to Charlottesville, the committee it was issuing a rare “early warning”, which has been used in recent years in countries including Burundi, Iraq, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
President Donald Trump says he is willing close down the US government if necessary to build his wall along the Mexico border.
He told supporters at a “Make America Great Again” rally in Phoenix, Arizona, that the opposition Democrats were being “obstructionist”.
During the 80-minute speech, President Trump also took aim at the media, blaming them for giving far right groups “a platform”.
However, Donald Trump selectively quoted his initial response to violence at a far-right rally that left one woman dead.
The president omitted the much-criticized claim that “many sides” had to shoulder the blame for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
He wants Congress to finance his controversial plan to build a “big, beautiful” wall along the United States’ border with Mexico to keep out illegal immigrants.
However, Republicans will need the support of Democrats to secure funding for the wall in a government spending bill, which they are unlikely to get.
In his speech, President Trump said the Democrats were “putting all of America’s safety at risk” by opposing the wall. He said immigration officers who worked in the area said it was “vital” to stem the flow of illegal immigrants.
He said that, if it came to it, he would risk a government shutdown – which is what happens when legislation funding the federal government cannot be passed by Congress and non-essential services stop.
“Now the obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it, but believe me if we have to close down our government, we are building that wall,” President Trump said, adding that “the American people voted for immigration control”.
If he wants a government shutdown all he has to do is refuse to sign a funding bill sent to him by Congress.
Capitol Hill is set to debate a new budget measure this autumn, and unless it is passed federal operations will be in limbo by October 1.
Donald Trump attacked the media in the campaign-style speech, saying reporters had misrepresented his “perfect” words in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville, where Heather Heyer was killed after a car ploughed into a crowd of people protesting against far-right demonstrators including neo-Nazis.
The president accused “truly dishonest people in the media and the fake media” of “trying to take away our history and heritage” because, he said, they “don’t like our country”.
Donald Trump quoted his first public response to the violence on August 12, which was criticized by both Republicans and Democrats for not clearly condemning the far-right.
He said: “This is what I said on Saturday: <<We’re closely following the terrible events unfolding in Charlottesville, Virginia,>> – this is me speaking. <<We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence.>> That’s me speaking on Saturday, right after the event.”
However, the president’s full quote was: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides, on many sides.”
Separately, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has criticized the US for what it said was a “failure at the highest political level” to reject “racist violent events”.
Referring to Charlottesville, the committee it was issuing a rare “early warning”, which has been used in recent years in countries including Burundi, Iraq, Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
Pope Francis has questioned Donald Trump’s Christianity over his call to build a border wall with Mexico.
The pontiff said “a person who thinks only about building walls… and not of building bridges, is not Christian”.
Donald Trump supports deporting nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants.
Calling himself a “proud Christian”, the Republican presidential hopeful blamed Mexico for the Pope’s remarks, calling them “disgraceful”.
Donald Trump Trump has alleged that Mexico sends “rapists” and criminals to the US.
Pope Francis made the comments at the end of a six-day trip to Mexico.
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not of building bridges, is not Christian. This is not the gospel,” he said.
The Pope declined to say whether Americans should vote for Donald Trump, who is leading the Republican race for president.
“I say only that this man is not Christian if he has said things like that. We must see if he said things in that way and I will give him the benefit of the doubt,” he said.
Addressing a rally in South Carolina, Donald Trump responded to Pope Francis’ comments.
“For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian,” Donald Trump said.
“No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”
“[The pope] said negative things about me. Because the Mexican government convinced him that Trump is not a good guy,” Donald Trump added.
He also said the Vatican was ISIS’ “ultimate trophy” and that if it attacked, “the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president because this would not have happened”.
Donald Trump’s Republican rivals, Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush, both Catholics, said they look to Pope Francis for spiritual guidance, not political direction.
Marco Rubio said the US has a right and an obligation to control its borders.
Jeb Bush told reporters he “supports walls where it’s appropriate” and that “Christianity is between he and his creator. I don’t think we need to discuss that”.
Earlier this month, Donald Trump called Pope Francis “a very political person” in an interview with Fox News.
“I don’t think he understands the danger of the open border we have with Mexico,” he said.
American Catholics are seen as an important voting bloc in US elections. Many support Republican candidates because of their opposition to abortion and gay marriage.
Donald Trump has been courting the evangelical Christian vote, often successfully, but his fellow Republican rivals have tried to argue that his religiosity is not sincere.
Ted Cruz’s campaign is now running an advertisement featuring a 1999 television interview Donald Trump gave in which he said he was “very pro-choice” when it comes to abortion.
In January, Donald Trump faced ridicule after flubbing a Bible verse when giving a speech to a Christian university in Virginia.
He has said he is a Presbyterian Christian but has had trouble recalling his favorite Bible verse when asked.
Donald Trump has referred to communion, the Christian sacrament signifying Jesus’ last supper, as having “the little wine” and “the little cracker”.
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