House fails to override Trump’s veto on bill that would have blocked his national emergency

FAN Editor

House Democrats’ attempt to override President Donald Trump‘s first veto failed Tuesday, leaving the president’s national emergency declaration in place for now.

The chamber fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to overcome the president’s opposition to a resolution that would end his executive action. Only 14 Republicans joined with Democrats in voting to override the veto in a 248-181 vote — one more GOP representative than when the House passed the measure last month.

Last month, Trump declared a national emergency to divert money already approved by Congress to the construction of his proposed border wall. Democrats and some Republicans worried about Trump circumventing the legislature’s appropriations power after lawmakers passed only about $1.4 billion of the $5.7 billion the president sought for barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border.

But Democrats could not get enough GOP lawmakers to back the measure. Both the House and Senate previously passed the legislation to block the emergency declaration with bipartisan support.

Ahead of the vote, Democrats tried to frame the resolution as a choice between their duties and allegiance to Trump.

“The president chose to continue to defy the Constitution, the Congress and the will of the American people with a veto,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said ahead of the vote. She added that “we take an oath to the Constitution, not to the president of the United States.”

Trump hopes to use the declaration to secure $3.6 billion of the $8 billion total he wants to put toward barriers on the border. It would come from the Defense Department’s military construction budget.

Though Congress cannot terminate the emergency declaration for now, Trump’s action still will face its share of scrutiny. Numerous states and outside groups have filed lawsuits challenging the declaration.

Lawsuits have in part cited Trump’s own words last month, when said “I didn’t need to do this” to get border wall funding, “but I’d rather do it much faster.”

Despite the House’s failure to override Trump’s veto, conflict over the wall funding will not disappear. After acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Monday that the Pentagon would move $1 billion away from military construction projects to build the border wall, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wa., denied the move. He said his committee had not approved it.

It still may go through, as the Pentagon will argue it has the authority to use the funds.

Trump also requested $8.6 billion for border wall construction in his fiscal 2020 budget, which could spark yet another standoff with Democrats over the signature campaign promise.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

Free America Network Articles

Leave a Reply

Next Post

Volvo raises 600 million euros in second bond deal this year

FILE PHOTO: An electric vehicle charging cable is seen on the bonnet of a Volvo hybrid car in this picture illustration taken July 6, 2017. REUTERS/Phil Noble/Illustration March 26, 2019 STOCKHOLM (Reuters) – Volvo Cars has raised 600 million euros ($677 million) via a bond issue on Tuesday, its second […]