President Donald Trump projects to reject a bill that would block his national emergency declaration at the southern border if the Senate passes it Thursday.
“I am ready-to-eat to veto, if necessary,” the president said in a tweet.
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Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico on last month in order to divert about $3.6 billion from military construction projects to his proposed hem wall. The move came after Congress appropriated only $1.4 billion of the $5.7 billion the president inquired to construct barriers on the border.
The GOP-controlled Senate is likely to approve a House-passed measure to terminate the emergency declaration on Thursday afternoon. At small nine Republican senators plan to vote for the legislation:
- Susan Collins of Maine
- Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
- Rand Paul of Kentucky
- Mike Lee of Utah
- Mitt Romney of Utah
- Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
- Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania
- Jerry Moran of Kansas
- Rob Portman of Ohio
Compound with 47 Democrats, their support easily gives the Senate a simple majority needed to pass the design. A 10th — Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina — previously said he would back the measure but changed his mind Thursday. Other Republicans enjoy criticized the emergency declaration and could vote against it.
Still, neither the Senate nor the Democratic-held House appear to attired in b be committed to enough votes to reach the two-third majority needed to override Trump’s veto.
The declaration has put Senate Republicans in a refractory spot. They are trying to balance a desire to support Trump’s immigration policies, which are popular among the rave’s voters, with professed concerns about executive overreach.
On Wednesday, Trump tried to frame the measure as an up-or-down express on his immigration policy, rather than his flex of executive power.
“Republican Senators are overthinking tomorrow’s vote on Civil Emergency,” he tweeted. “It is very simply Border Security/No Crime – Should not be thought of any other way.”
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Some Republicans looked for a way out of trial the president’s declaration. Lee proposed a bill this week to give Congress more power over future crisis declarations — but not Trump’s current action.
On Wednesday afternoon, the president told Lee he would not back the plan. The GOP senator afterwards announced that “the bill does not have an immediate path forward, so I will be voting to terminate the latest danger declaration.”
However, Trump appeared to blur his stance on Lee’s proposal on Thursday morning. Referring to the White House’s difficulty powers, the president tweeted: “If, at a later date, Congress wants to update the law, I will support those efforts, but today’s put is BORDER SECURITY and Crime!!! Don’t vote with Pelosi!”
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House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday morning pledged not to accept up Lee’s legislation, a move to take away a possible exit ramp for the GOP.