Democrats want Trump to declare the coronavirus outbreak a national emergency. He's hesitating

[RandySF]

President Trump declared a national emergency last February to divert billions that had been appropriated for the military to fund construction of his wall along the southern border. White House lawyers told Trump he could reprogram that money without the declaration. But the president was determined to announce a national emergency, we reported at the time, for fear of looking weak if he didn’t.

Thirteen months later, Trump has appeared afraid of looking weak if he does declare a national emergency to respond to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. He’s resisted a growing chorus of pleas from local leaders, as well as congressional Democrats, to declare a national emergency. Under the 1988 Stafford Act, this would enable the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take disaster-level action and free up billions in assistance for states and municipalities on the front lines of the pandemic.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2020/03/13/daily-202-democrats-want-trump-to-declare-the-coronavirus-outbreak-a-national-emergency-he-s-hesitating/5e6b2586602ff10d49acacc8/

[uponit7771]

1. K&R, that would undercut the Fox News meme that this is a hoax

[empedocles]

3. trump still clings, in some way, to his 'hoax'

[uponit7771]

4. 10% of the human race is under some kind of quarantine and they think it's overreacting

[beachbumbob]

2. pelosi absolutely needs make this part of ANY deal with GOP/trump, frees up resources for

Governors

[uponit7771]

5. Let people get their test at the state level

[beachbumbob]

6. the feds provide the kits thru CDC, no other way at this moment exist

[uponit7771]

7. +1, that's why we're screwed ... the country will shut down