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North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman joined 299 of his colleagues Thursday in voting to pass a compromise funding agreement to keep the government opened in advance of today’s deadline.

And in a press release this morning, Huffman blasted President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, calling it a “sham” and vowing: “We’ll see you in court.”

The bipartisan funding bill included $1.375 billion for border fencing — far short of the $5.7 billion the president had repeatedly demanded but enough to construct about 55 miles of border fencing. With the emergency declaration this morning, the Trump administration plans to divert $3.6 billion budgeted for military construction projects, another $2.5 billion from counter-narcotics programs and $600 million from an asset forfeiture fund. Coupled with the appropriation from Congress, that would give the president $8 billion to spend on his border wall.

But challenges loom. House Democrats plan to introduce a measure to reverse the declaration and some — like Huffman — have said they will take to the courts to block the declaration.

“I have one message to President Trump about his sham ‘national emergency’ declaration: we’ll see you in court,” Huffman said in a press release. “Trump’s last-ditch effort to secure his medieval border wall, with zero regard for the best interests of the American people or the facts, is a gross overstep and a clear violation of the rule of law. This months-long drama of his own making is clearly not an emergency, and now the courts and Congress will need to exercise checks and balances on an executive branch that is increasingly out of control.”

As to the spending bill, Huffman said he voted in favor of it because it “delivers wins on several key priorities” and keeps the government opened. Specifically, Huffman pointed to provisions that reverse a pay freeze for federal civilian employees, protecting key programs and language that “strongly supports 20-year lease/permits for the historic ranching and dairying operations in the Point Reyes National Seashore.”

Some of Huffman’s Democrat colleagues voted against the funding agreement, pointing to the wall funding and its providing allocation increases to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. In his press release, Huffman made clear he wasn’t happy with the entirety of the agreement, though he did not specify the aspects he didn’t support.

“While this funding bill is not without its flaws, it is the best possible path forward to keep our government open and allow Congress to get back to the business of governing,” he said.

See the full press release from Huffman’s office copied below:

Huffman Votes to Keep Government Open; Slams President Trump’s National Emergency Declaration

Washington, D.C.- Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) voted to pass a bipartisan, bicameral compromise funding agreement to avert a second senseless Trump Shutdown, while rejecting proposed cuts to critical domestic investments and working towards a more humane immigration system. The conference report passed the House by a veto-proof 300-128 margin.

“I voted “yes” on the bipartisan agreement to fund the government because overall it delivers wins on several key priorities. While this funding bill is not without its flaws, it is the best possible path forward to keep our government open and allow Congress to get back to the business of governing,” said Rep. Huffman.

Rep. Huffman also slammed President Trump’s expected national emergency declaration.

“I have one message to President Trump about his sham ‘national emergency’ declaration: we’ll see you in court. Trump’s last-ditch effort to secure his medieval border wall, with zero regard for the best interests of the American people or the facts, is a gross overstep and a clear violation of the rule of law. This months-long drama of his own making is clearly not an emergency, and now the courts and Congress will need to exercise checks and balances on an executive branch that is increasingly out of control,”said Rep. Huffman.

Rep. Huffman applauded several priorities included in the final conference report, including:
• Keeping the federal government open, protecting vital services as well as the livelihoods of 800,000 federal workers and their families;
• Overriding Trump’s pay freeze by providing a 1.9% pay raise for federal civilian employees, which President Trump had tried to deny;
• Limiting new wall construction, including by protecting almost 20 miles of environmentally sensitive areas of the U.S.-Mexico border;
• Rejecting numerous Trump requests to cut or eliminate programs, including by providing $1 billion in additional funding for the Census to keep a fair and accurate count, blocking cuts to clean water and clear air programs, and providing $435 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund that Trump had proposed to eliminate; and
• Includes language in the Joint Explanatory Statement that strongly supports 20-year lease/permits for the historic ranching and dairying operations in the Point Reyes National Seashore.

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