Rep. Chip Roy introduced HR 1755, a bill to amend the National Emergencies Act

Rep. Chip Roy introduced HR 1755, a bill to amend the National Emergencies Act and reassert congressional authority over broad, virtually unchecked emergency powers on March 14.

Rep. Roy said the following about the bill:

“As I said when Congress voted on the president’s emergency declaration last month, I would have preferred to debate it longer and work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to reach structural reforms to the National Emergencies Act. [Thursday], I introduced a bill in the House of Representatives that would restore Congress to its rightful place as first among our federal branches of government when it comes to the power of the purse.

For the past few weeks, I have been working on a bicameral measure and am proud to introduce the companion bill to that offered in the Senate by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT),” Roy said. “It is time that Congress took back our legislative powers.

To be clear, there is an emergency at our southern border.  Cartels have operational control of our border, hundreds of thousands of people are crossing our border, thousands of pounds of narcotics are crossing our border, and our failure to act endangers Americans and the migrants who seek to come here. Unlike Congress, the president recognizes the emergency and is taking a few, though not all, of the steps necessary to work to secure our border and shore up American sovereignty.

Having said that, there are currently 31 active national emergencies, some of which date back to President Jimmy Carter’s administration. By any reasonable definition, an “emergency” should not be treated as such under the NEA for long periods of time. Our legislation will terminate emergencies within 30 days of such a declaration and require Congress to take specific action to continue such emergencies.

Congress ceded some of its legislative authority in 1976. It is far past time we make the necessary changes need to the NEA and take steps to restore Congress to what our founders intended.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) introduced a companion bill in the Senate Tuesday. The bill has 14 co-sponsors including Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Jim Moran (R-KS), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Rob Portman (R-OH), Todd Young (R-IN), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Ted Cruz (R-TX), and Roger Wicker (R-MS).