Judge rejects Democrats’ attempt to block funds transfer for border wall – Washington Examiner

A federal judge rejected a request by House Democrats to stop President Trump from transferring funds to build his border wall.

Judge Trevor McFadden ruled that one chamber of Congress cannot sue the executive branch over spending.

“This is a case about whether one chamber of Congress has the ‘constitutional means’ to conscript the Judiciary in a political turf war with the President over the implementation of legislation,” McFadden wrote. “The Judiciary cannot reach the merits of this dispute, it contends, because the Constitution grants the House no standing to litigate these claims.”

“And while the Constitution bestows upon Members of the House many powers, it does not grant them standing to hale the Executive Branch into court claiming a dilution of Congress’s legislative authority. The Court therefore lacks jurisdiction to hear the House’s claims and will deny its motion,” he continued.

McFadden, a Trump appointee serving on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said lawmakers have other options than the court system to stop the president’s proposals.

Trump issued a national emergency this year, requesting Pentagon funding to be used to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.