PBS News Hour - Politics

Although some Republicans have criticized President Trump's national emergency declaration, others endorse it. One of them is Kris Kobach, former Kansas secretary of state, who talks to Amna Nawaz about the “extraordinarily broad” nature of the National Emergencies Act, why a wall is a "force multiplier" and how we don’t know the true volume of illegal drugs coming across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Judy Woodruff to analyze the week in politics, including the president’s national emergency declaration, how congressional Republicans are reacting to it, the 2020 presidential field and whether Democrats are pushing their platform too far to the left.

Congress is preparing to send a government funding package that contains a compromise on allocations for border security to President Trump, who has announced his intention to sign the bill. However, Trump also plans to declare a national emergency in order to access additional money for a border wall. Judy Woodruff talks to Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor about what comes next.

After signing a congressional funding bill, President Trump plans to declare a national emergency to obtain additional money for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But would such an executive action be lawful? Judy Woodruff speaks with former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about who decides what constitutes a national emergency and whether the president is attempting to circumvent Congress.

Andrew McCabe, former FBI deputy director, says in an upcoming interview he feared President Trump would undermine the investigation into Russian election interference once Trump fired FBI Director James Comey. John Yang talks to NPR’s Carrie Johnson about McCabe’s claims of “panic and alarm” in the Justice Department, Trump’s reaction and the latest revelations in the special counsel’s probe.

Thursday marked the first anniversary of a deadly shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Across the country, Americans paused to observe a moment of silence in honor of the 17 lives lost in the tragedy. Amna Nawaz talks to Sarah Lerner, one of the teachers at school during the crisis, about how she has coped and why having a gun wouldn't have helped her.

Congressional negotiators revealed more about a proposed funding deal Wednesday, but President Trump has yet to indicate whether he'll sign it. With just two days left before a second government shutdown would take effect, the pressure is on to hammer out the legislation's details. Judy Woodruff talks to Lisa Desjardins and Yamiche Alcindor about potential sticking points and "political theater."

While a tentative bipartisan agreement exists to fund the government and avoid a second shutdown, more work must be accomplished quickly to meet Friday's deadline. Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., talks to Judy Woodruff about the outlook for President Trump to sign the bill if it passes and whether Republicans would support back pay for federal contractors affected by the shutdown.

Health care continues to be a top political issue. While some congressional Democrats consider universal health coverage, state and local governments are already pushing ahead with proposals to corral costs and broaden access to care, including for the undocumented. Special correspondent Sarah Varney shares stories from California and New York, two states pursuing ambitious health care agendas.

Lawmakers working to develop an agreement on border funding by February 15 say they have reached a bipartisan deal. President Trump said he wasn't "happy" with the proposed bill, as it would provide only a fraction of the funding he had originally demanded, but didn't say whether or not he would sign it. Yamiche Alcindor explains what concessions each side made to arrive at a compromise.