Trump vows 'VETO!' after bipartisan U.S. Senate rebuke on wall

By Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan

 

FILE PHOTO: Children stand by a new section of the border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border in this picture taken from Anapra neighborhood in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico May 3, 2018. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday rebuked President Donald Trump by voting to end his border emergency declaration, as 12 Republicans joined Democrats to deliver a second blow in as many days to the president, who quickly pledged a veto.

 

The 59-41 vote was a bipartisan repudiation of Trump's decision to circumvent Congress and take money already designated for other programs and redirect it to pay for his U.S.-Mexico border wall, which he promised to build during his 2016 campaign.

 

In the first two years of his term, the Republican-led Congress mostly accommodated Trump, which spared him from having to use his veto pen. With Republicans showing increased willingness to defy him, Trump promised a change.

 

"VETO!" he tweeted shortly after the vote.

 

The vote on Thursday marked back-to-back defeats for Trump in the Republican-controlled Senate. On Wednesday, senators approved a resolution seeking to end U.S. support for a Saudi Arabia-led coalition in the war in Yemen, rejecting Trump's policy toward the kingdom.

 

"Today's votes cap a week of something the American people haven't seen enough of in the last two years," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer told reporters. "My hope is that this past week isn't an aberration, but a turning point."

 

A House of Representatives leadership aide said there would likely be a vote to attempt to overrideTrump's promised veto on March 26 after lawmakers return from a one-week recess.

 

The measure is unlikely to become law as there are enough Republicans in the House and Senate to sustain a Trump veto, which requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override. The issue could ultimately be decided by the courts.

 

Trump has made clamping down on illegal immigration a cornerstone of his presidency and it promises to be central to his 2020 re-election campaign.

 

His drive for billions of dollars to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall - one that he initially promised Mexico would pay for - has placed a wedge between him and Congress, including many Republicans who are uncomfortable even talking about a "wall." Many in Congress say effective border security requires a range of law enforcement tools.

 

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had urged his fellow Republicans to defeat the resolution rejecting the emergency declaration, which was passed in February by the Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representatives.

 

Republicans who defected by supporting the measure to end the emergency declaration are worried that presidents - including future Democratic ones - could usurp the power of Congress to fund the government and use the tactic to pass their own pet programs.

 

McConnell said Trump was "operating within existing law" and that if senators did not like the powers provided to the president under the National Emergencies Act, "then they should amend it."

 

COURTS LIKELY TO DECIDE

At stake are billions of dollars in funding for barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border that Trump is demanding but Congress has refused to fully provide. The stalemate led to a 35-day partial government shutdown that ended in January.

 

Under the emergency declaration he signed on Feb. 15, Trump would take money from other federal programs to build the barrier, which he says is needed to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

 

Even with a veto threat looming, senators and legal experts said Congress was sending a message that could be cited by judges in several lawsuits challenging Trump's emergency declaration.

 

"It's an important legal statement," said Senator Angus King, one of two Senate independents. "It tells the court this is explicitly not approved by Congress. By voting this resolution, Congress is reiterating we don't approve of this expenditure."

 

Peter Shane, a law professor at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University, agreed.

 

"Congress's vote, even if vetoed, would solidify any court's understanding that the so-called emergency is really part of an end-run around a legislative branch that is unconvinced an emergency exists, that refused to fund the wall, and that is constitutionally in charge of federal spending," he said.

 

Democrats deny there is an emergency at the border, saying border crossings are at a four-decade low.

 

"Democrats and Republicans both know the sad truth: The president did not declare an emergency because there is one," Schumer said on the Senate floor. "He declared an emergency because he lost in Congress and wants to get around it."

 

King expressed frustration the Department of Defense had so far refused to provide Congress with the projects it would have to suspend under Trump's emergency declaration in order to fund the wall.

 

"We have a reasonable expectation of knowing what the universe of potential projects cuts are before we take this vote," King said in a telephone interview with Reuters shortly before the vote, addingTrump was attempting to "undo" $3.6 billion (£2.7 billion) worth of defence projects already approved by Congress.

 

(Reporting by Amanda Becker and Richard Cowan; Additional reporting by Susan Cornwell, Doina Chiacu, Lawrence Hurley and Susan Heavey; Editing by Bill Trott and Peter Cooney)

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-15

He’s telling Breitbart he’s got the backing of ‘Bikers for Trump’ who might get tough and rough us all up.

 

He needs to forget the wall and focus on prison reform.

"...The 59-41 vote was a bipartisan repudiation of Trump's decision to circumvent Congress and take money already designated for other programs and redirect it to pay for his U.S.-Mexico border wall, which he promised to build during his 2016 campaign...."

 

Or, in other words, there are 41 US senators who are gutless worms and do not have the courage to uphold their oaths of office.

 

Congress has the 'Power of the Purse', and it is sickening to see law-makers cede their power to that... thing and his false emergency.

 

If the US President cannot convince Congress to give him the money to fund his priorities, then he can't implement his priorities. It is that simple. THAT is the basis of the entire US Federal government.

 

The only silver lining is that, should the US survive until the next election, then a Democrat President can simply outlaw guns, outlaw polluting factories and all SUVs, make abortion clinics mandatory in every city with a population over 100,000 people, and implement a policy of 'Rednecks Into Camps'.

 

If ever there was a time that the US Senate will regret their actions, this is it. It is a sad, sad day...

 

 

Pelosi ran this well.

 

She has now exposed Trump’s executive order for what it is a blatant power grab and an outright attack on the separation of powers.

 

AKA High crimes and misdemeanors.

Don’t worry Donald you will get your owne private wall just hope you are behind it and not stood in front of it you wanna be dictator

4 hours ago, webfact said:

“VETO!" he tweeted shortly after the vote.

 

Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome)

3/15/19, 9:26 AM

Mr. President, you misspelled “Beto.”

Maybe Trumps next tweet will be " military coup" ????

15 minutes ago, whimsicalmike said:

Maybe Trumps next tweet will be " military coup" ????

He would if he could. Maybe he can. That's what makes this so scary.

There's going to be some new rules for 2020.  As such, you may not be qualified to vote....

 

Edited March 15, 20197 yr by Scott
Deleted post edited out

From the photo, the metal "wall" does not look too difficult to climb over unless it is electrified or has hidden sensors. I do not see any CCTV or searchlights.

41 minutes ago, Burma Bill said:

From the photo, the metal "wall" does not look too difficult to climb over unless it is electrified or has hidden sensors. I do not see any CCTV or searchlights.

Not an issue... this section of the wall is patrolled.... you can see the guards on duty in the foreground ????

Troll posts and replies removed.