https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/11/sen...trump-not-to-declare-emergency-over-wall.html 'It's a bad precedent' — GOP Sen. Grassley warns Trump not to declare a national emergency to get his border wall "I believe you're going to find it in the courts almost immediately," says the Iowa Republican. "It contravenes the power of the purse" of Congress. Declaring a national emergency could give the president the ability to use the military to build the wall instead of getting approval from lawmakers. Sen. Grassley argues for a deal: "We have so many senators and a lot of House members that have already supported 650 miles of fence" in the past. Matthew J. Belveder Published 3 Hours Ago CNBC.com President Donald Trump should not declare a national emergency over illegal immigration in order to bypass Congress to get his long-promised wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, Sen. Chuck Grassley, a veteran Republican from Iowa, told CNBC on Friday. Declaring a national emergency could give the president the ability to use the military to build the wall instead of getting Congress to approve funding for it. Trump wants about $5.7 billion for border security, including about 234 miles of new barriers. Democrats, who now control the House, have refused to allocate any money that goes to the building of any more walls or fences along the U.S. southern border. Grassley said in a "Squawk Box" interview that "I believe you're going to find it in the courts almost immediately. And the courts are going to make a decision" if Trump declares an emergency. Grassley said the quicker the Supreme Court could make a decision on the matter should it come to pass the better. "The president is threatening emergency action, a national emergency declaration. I don't think he should do that. I think it's a bad precedent. And it contravenes the power of the purse that comes from the elected representatives of the people," said Grassley, who was elected to Congress in 1974 and the Senate in 1980. On Wednesday, Trump said he will "probably" declare a national emergency if a wall deal can't be worked out. Sen. Marco Rubio, who unsuccessfully sought the 2016 GOP presidential nomination said Wednesday on CNBC that a national emergency declaration by Trump could create a slippery slope. "If today, the national emergency is border security ... tomorrow the national emergency might be climate change," said the Florida lawmaker, referring to climate change as an issue that's near and dear to Democrats and anathema to Republicans. Both Trump and Democrats have been digging in on their wall positions, leading to a partial government shutdown, now in Day 21. On Friday, the shutdown tied the 1995-96 closure during the Clinton administration as the longest ever. Also Friday, more than 800,000 federal workers were starting to miss paychecks.