AP, Washington :
Many lawmakers opposed to the emergency declaration say it tramples Congress’s constitutional power to control spending and would set a precedent for future Democratic presidents to make such a declaration for their own purposes. They also are concerned Trump would siphon money from home-state projects to barrier construction.
Under the declaration, Trump would divert $3.6 billion US from military construction to erect more border barriers. He’s invoking other powers to transfer an additional $3.1 billion to construction.
Opponents of U.S. President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border appear to have enough Senate votes to reject his move, now that Republican Rand Paul of Kentucky has said he can’t go along with the White House.
The House has voted to derail the action, and if the Senate follows later this month, the measure would go to Trump for his promised veto.
Three other Republican senators have announced they’ll vote “no” – Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Thom Tillis of North Carolina. Paul makes it four, and assuming that all 47 Democrats and their independent allies go against Trump, that would give opponents 51 votes – just past the majority needed.
Congress is unlikely to have the votes to override.
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“I can’t vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress,” Paul said at a GOP dinner Saturday night at Western Kentucky University, according to the Bowling Green Daily News newspaper in Kentucky.
“We may want more money for border security, but Congress didn’t authorize it. If we take away those checks and balances, it’s a dangerous thing.”
The House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats, passed the so-called resolution of disapproval and sent it to the Senate, which is expected to vote in the coming weeks.
Senate Republicans have a 53-47 advantage. But four of them have now announced they will vote with Democrats to block Trump, who is seeking to bypass Congress to unlock funds for construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border that he insists will reduce illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
Several other Republicans, while stopping short of announcing they would vote against Trump, have expressed deep concerns about his move, arguing it is a blatant attempt to expand executive authority.
With Senator Rand Paul this weekend becoming the fourth Republican on board, the resolution of disapproval is now likely to be sent to Trump’s desk, forcing the president into the tricky position of vetoing the measure and acting in clear opposition to Congress.
Each chamber would then need to deliver two-thirds majorities to override Trump’s veto – an exceedingly high hurdle.
