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A federal judge’s permanent injunction means that Donald Trump can’t steal money Congress appropriated to the troops for his wall.

CNN reported, “Judge David Briones of the US District Court for the Western District of Texas said Tuesday that the administration cannot use military construction funds to build additional barriers on the southern border.”

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA:

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Today’s District Court ruling is a victory for the rule of law, our Constitution and our American democracy. Once again, the courts have resoundingly ruled against the President’s attempt to negate our system of separation of powers, which is the genius of our Constitution, by assaulting Congress’s exclusive constitutional power of the purse. Despite what the President may think, Article II does not mean that he can ‘do whatever he wants.’

This ruling also is an important victory for the American people and our national security. The President’s plan to cancel military construction projects to pay for his ineffective, wasteful wall would have made America less safe by hurting our military readiness and stealing from military families.

The House will continue to fight the President’s assault on our democracy and national security in the Courts, in the Congress and in the court of public opinion, as we honor our oath to support and defend the Constitution.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, “The injunction announced tonight by a federal judge in Texas confirms the president’s national emergency declaration to steal funds from military families to build a wall he promised Mexico would pay for was, and is, an outrageous power grab by a president who refuses to respect the constitutional separation of powers. This injunction is a win for the rule of law and should serve as a warning to Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration that the power of the purse – given exclusively to Congress by the Constitution – cannot be usurped.”

Trump’s abuse of his national emergency powers is finally being checked by the courts. The ruling does not apply to other sources of funding that Trump has used for his wall, but the decision takes away access to billions of dollars that he lifted for such projects as military housing and schools for the children of those serving the country.

Donald Trump has had his “deep state” conspiracy theories blown to shreds by an IG report, and articles of impeachment dropped on him, so it is fitting that a presidency that appears to be coming apart is crumbling like Trump’s dream of a border wall.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

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