Friday, March 15, 2019

Trump Vetoes Resolution Denouncing 'National Emergency' For Border Wall Funding

Donald Trump vetos resolution denouncing 'national emergency' declaration

Donald Trump has vetoed the congressional resolution aimed at blocking his 'national emergency' declaration for border wall funds.

This is the first veto of his presidency.

From NPR:

Congressional critics do not appear to have the votes to override Trump's veto. So, as a practical matter, the administration can continue to spend billions of dollars more on border barriers than lawmakers authorized, unless and until the courts intervene.

"Today I am vetoing this resolution," Trump said, flanked by law enforcement officials at an Oval Office event. "Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution and I have the duty to veto it."

Trump had telegraphed his plan to proceed with additional wall spending on Thursday, minutes after the Senate voted 59-41 to block it. Twelve Republican senators joined Democrats in rejecting the president's emergency declaration.

Trump declared a national emergency last month, after Congress authorized only $1.3 billion in border wall funding, far short of the $5.7 billion Trump had asked for. The emergency declaration allows the president to redirect funds from other accounts such as military construction to the Southern border wall.

Republican senators who bucked the president said they did so to preserve congressional control over the government's purse strings.

The border wall project still faces a variety of legal challenges, and despite Trump's veto, House and Senate votes against the emergency declaration could carry some weight in the courts.

Would this be a good time to remind folks that Trump lied all those times on the campaign stump when he claimed Mexico would pay for the wall?




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