McConnell schedules vote on Trump's national emergency declaration
The Senate will vote on a resolution disapproving of the president's national emergency declaration Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced in a brief news conference Tuesday, teeing up the first veto of Donald Trump's presidency.
Four Republicans — Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — have already announced they will vote with Democrats to disapprove the president's emergency declaration over the border wall, enough for a simple majority. More Republicans could defect.
The president has pledged to veto the resolution "100 percent" if it reaches his desk. If that happens, it will be the first veto of his presidency, a sign of fracturing between the president and some members of his party. Some Republicans have voiced concerns over the constitutionality of Mr. Trump's emergency declaration as a way to extract funding Congress wouldn't grant him to build border walls or barriers, but the president has publicly pressured Republicans, claiming this is about border security, not constitutionality and precedent.
"Republican Senators have a very easy vote this week," Mr. Trump tweeted Monday. "It is about Border Security and the Wall (stopping Crime, Drugs etc.), not Constitutionality and Precedent. It is an 80% positive issue. The Dems are 100% United, as usual, on a 20% issue, Open Borders and Crime. Get tough R's!"
The House passed the resolution disapproving Mr. Trump's emergency declaration in a 245-182 vote last month.
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But Mr. Trump isn't only facing opposition from the Republican-led Senate over his emergency declaration. He's also facing legal threats, with 16 states suing his administration over it.