President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the Rose Garden at the White House in Washington, Friday, Feb. 15, 2019, to declare a national emergency in order to build a wall along the southern border. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Donald Trump has signed legislation to avert another government shutdown and pay for limited fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Press secretary Sarah Sanders says Trump signed the bill at the White House today.

The legislation gives Trump 55 additional miles of border fencing, well short of the 200-plus miles he wanted.

The legislation also keeps parts of the government from shutting down at midnight Friday by providing $333 billion to finance several Cabinet agencies through September.

Trump today also declared a national emergency at the southern border and is using his executive authority to tap billions of other government funds to build the wall.

Congress’ two top Democrats say they’ll use “every remedy available” to oppose the president’s declaration of an emergency to shift billions of federal dollars into building a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said they’ll take action “in the Congress, in the Courts, and in the public.”

They say Trump’s decision to declare an emergency is unlawful and it would “shred the Constitution” by usurping Congress’ power to control spending.

White House officials say some of the money would come from military construction projects. Pelosi and Schumer say Trump would be using money needed “for the security of our military and our nation.”

Democrats can file lawsuits and force congressional votes to block Trump’s money transfers. Trump could veto the legislation should it pass.

Trump says he expects legal challenges.