Senate Republicans are urging President Trump to respect the rulings of federal judges who have blocked his executive actions to freeze spending federal grants and loans, dismantle the U.S. Agency on International Development (USAID) and ban birthright citizenship.
GOP lawmakers have been reluctant to criticize Trump’s actions, fearing it could make them targets for primary challenges next year.
But they are growing increasingly worried about the nation plunging into a constitutional crisis if Trump ignores court orders halting his most aggressive actions.
“The White House should comply with court rulings, the Congress should comply,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday.
“We have a judicial system. If you don’t like the ruling, you can appeal the ruling and you can follow that through. But we are a nation of laws and it is not necessarily for you or I to be the final arbiter here. This is why we entrust the judiciary with this responsibility,” she said.