JUST DO IT: There Are Already 31 Active National Emergencies. Here’s A Full List
Patrick Howley
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President Donald Trump has no reason to hesitate in declaring a national emergency to build the southern border Wall. The national emergency is real and it’s hitting us hard.
Formally declaring a national emergency is not a big deal, especially if you look at all the foreign-focused situations that prompted President Trump’s predecessors to use the emergency option — including Barack Obama, who declared 13 national emergencies, 11 of which are still active. Did the mainstream media call Obama a dictator for using this strategy?
President Trump has declared three national emergencies himself. Surely the systemic destruction of the United States through open-borders crime and drug proliferation warrants a fourth push on the “emergency” button. If you look at all the dimensions of this issue — the drugs, the human trafficking, the cartel violence, the suspected terrorists routinely apprehended — the Border Crisis merits several national emergencies, at least.
Here are the 31 national emergencies that are in effect right now. Are these situations making you panic at all times? Are these problems bigger than the existential threat of losing our borders? You decide.
- 1979: Blocking Iranian Government Property
Our oldest still-running national emergency comes from the Iran hostage crisis. Does the existence of the Ayatollah constitute a national emergency? Yes. Should Barack Obama have sent the Iranians $1.7 billion in cash pallets? No, that should have been another national emergency right there.
2. 1994: Proliferation of Weapons of Mass DestructionÂ
Bill Clinton regulated WMD’s.
3. 1995: Prohibiting Transactions With Terrorists Who Threaten To Disrupt the Middle East Peace Process
This bans any dealing with Hamas and Hezbollah, but again it does not seem like the spirit of this national emergency has been upheld very well by some of our recent leaders. The Obama White House stifled anti-Hezbollah efforts to make it easier to finalize their disastrous Iran deal.
4. 1995: Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions with Respect to the Development of Iranian Petroleum Resources
Some regulations on the oil business.
5. 1995: Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions with Significant Narcotics Traffickers
Does building a Wall count as “Blocking Assets” for drug dealers?
6. 1996: Regulations of the Anchorage and Movement of Vessels With Respect To Cuba
The Cuban Missile Crisis was no laughing matter, and the Communist threat close to our shores has not gone anywhere.
7. 1997: Blocking Sudanese Government Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Sudan
This national emergency did not prevent Bill Clinton from bombing a Sudanese medicine factory during the Monica Lewinsky scandal, which prompted Christopher Hitchens’ greatest ever anti-war headline in The Nation: “Close But No Cigar.”
8. 2001: Blocking Property of Persons Who Threaten International Stabilization Efforts in the Western Balkans
How about blocking migration of persons who threaten national stabilization efforts of the United States?
9. 2001: Continuation of Export Control Regulations
Something to do with exports.
10. 2001: Declaration of National Emergency by Reason of Certain Terrorist Attacks
9/11 was a national emergency. How Bush and Cheney responded to 9/11 left us in perpetual national emergency.
11. 2001: Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions with Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism
This national emergency is a no-brainer. But it didn’t stop Barack Obama from making transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism.
12. 2003: Blocking Property of Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Zimbabwe
This is not more important to the United States than the security of our own border.
13. 2003: Protecting the Development Fund for Iraq and Certain Other Property in Which Iraq Has An Interest
In 2013, Reuters pegged the total U.S. taxpayer cost of the Iraq War at $1.7 trillion, not including outstanding veteran benefits.
14. 2004: Blocking Property of Certain Persons and Prohibiting the Export of Certain Goods To Syria
Bashar al-Assad has been a longtime target of the national security establishment in Washington, which does not seem to care quite as much about the national security threat on our southern border.
15. 2006: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in Belarus
Belarus is a country in Europe.
16. 2006: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Too bad this Bush-era national emergency is not called “Blocking Access of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Texas and Arizona.”
17. 2007: Blocking Property of Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or its Democratic Processes and Institutions
Lebanon is a country with borders, much like the United States.
18. 2008: Continuing Certain Restrictions with Respect to North Korea and North Korean Nationals
Nobody ever made any real progress in North Korea until President Trump.
19. 2010: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in Somalia
Some pirate-related sanctions on Somalia.
20. 2011: Blocking Property and Prohibiting Certain Transactions Related To Libya
Hillary Clinton took out Muammar Gaddafi and now there is an active slave trade in Libya.
21: 2011: Blocking Property of Transnational Criminal Organizations
Does this apply to the Clinton Foundation?
22. 2012: Blocking Property of Persons Threatening the Peace, Security or Stability of Yemen
Yemen is not known for its peace, security or stability, and neither is the United States in the age of open-borders mass migration.
23. 2014: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Ukraine
Ukraine and the United States of America are different countries located in different parts of the world.
24. 2014: Blocking Property of Certain Persons with Respect to South Sudan
Sudan is a place fraught with emergency, granted, but so is the United States in our borderless present.
25. 2014: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Central African Republic
Drug cartels are contributing to the conflict in the American Republic.
26. 2015: Blocking Property and Suspending Entry of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Venezuela
The “suspending entry” part is good.
27. 2015: Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities
The criminal cartels in the United States are more tech-savvy than they let on, and pose serious threats to the American people.
28. 2015: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Burundi
Burundi is in Africa.
29. 2017: Blocking the Property of Persons Involved in Serious Human Rights Abuse or Corruption
President Trump’s first national emergency.
30. 2018: Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States election
President Trump won fair and square, it had nothing to do with the Russians.
31: 2018: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Situation in Nicaragua
The situation in Nicaragua is presenting itself at our southern border.
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