Senate Votes Again to Block Trump’s National Emergency Declaration
ONE MORE TIME
The Senate on Wednesday voted to block Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration over the southern border for the second time, but the measure will likely be vetoed once again by the president. The resolution passed the Republican-controlled chamber but fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to overcome Trump’s likely veto. The Senate voted 54-41 to terminate the emergency, meaning 11 Republicans joined lawmakers across the aisle in support of the resolution.
In February, Trump declared the national emergency to allocate money for his proposed border wall after failing to secure his desired $6 billion from Congress—or the Mexican government. Congress voted to cancel the emergency once in March, but also did not have enough support to override Trump’s veto. The vote Wednesday pushed by Democrats comes after the Pentagon this month stated $3.6 billion from military construction projects would be diverted to building border barriers. By law, Congress can only make a move to block the presidential declaration every six months.