Trump Threatens To Veto Senate Measure Overturning Border National Emergency Declaration
by Tyler Durden
ZeroHedge.com
Thu, 03/14/2019
President Trump fired off a fresh warning that he is ready to veto a measure in the Republican-led senate to rebuke him over his national emergency declaration at the southern US border.
“A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction),” Trump tweeted early Thursday. “I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed!”
A big National Emergency vote today by The United States Senate on Border Security & the Wall (which is already under major construction). I am prepared to veto, if necessary. The Southern Border is a National Security and Humanitarian Nightmare, but it can be easily fixed!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 14, 2019
While Trump has framed the border crisis as a matter of national security, Democrats and some Republicans argue that his Feb. 15 national emergency to circumvent Congress over border wall funding is unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, Trump shot down a compromise by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) which would defeat the Democratic resolution to overturn the national emergency in exchange for an agreement that Trump will rein in his power to declare future national emergencies.
On Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), who was leading an effort to craft a compromise aimed at curtailing presidential emergency powers in the future, became the latest Republican to announce plans to defect and vote for a resolution to nullify Trump’s declaration when it comes to the floor on Thursday.
Lee made the announcement shortly after hearing directly from Trump that his legislation was not acceptable.
Lee’s position all but ensures there will be majority support in the Senate on Thursday for the disapproval resolution, which has already passed the House. Senate passage would send the measure to Trump, forcing him to issue the first veto of his administration to strike it down. -Washington Post
While Congress will not likely be able to override Trump’s veto, a successful vote by the Republican-controlled Senate will serve as an embarrasing reminder that the president doesn’t have the support of his party.
GOP members of Congress, meanwhile, will have to return to their districts and explain why they voted against the wall that Trump was elected to build.
“What we want to see the Senate do this week is stand with the president, to stand with the president’s declaration of a national emergency,” said Vice President Mike Pence in a Thursday interview with Fox News. “A vote against President Trump’s national emergency is a vote against border security. A vote against the president’s national emergency declaration is a vote to deny the humanitarian and security crisis that’s happening at our Southern border.”
