MOSES LAKE — President Donald Trump should not declare a state of emergency in order to find money to build a wall along the border with Mexico, according to Fourth District Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Yakima.

Newhouse, speaking to the Moses Lake Kiwanis Club on Monday, said he is very concerned about the precedent such a move might set for future presidents after Trump.

“He shouldn’t do that. Congress is the body which has the power to appropriate money,” Newhouse said. “That’s a dangerous path to take. Follow the Constitution and allow for the duties of the separate branches of government.

“Can we find common ground to enhance our border security while living up to the morals of our country?” Newhouse added. “I’m optimistic, but the rhetoric continues to be strong.”

Newhouse said he has visited the border and talked with Border Patrol agents who work along a stretch of the frontier between the United States and Mexico, and that “they need some help.” A physical barrier between the U.S. and Mexico is “one tool,” he said.

“There’s room to negotiate, to come up with a compromise,” Newhouse added. “I hope we can.”

Given how dependent U.S. agriculture is on migrant labor, Newhouse said there should be a legal way for farm workers to come work temporarily in the United States but keep drugs and terrorists from illegally coming across the border.