“VETO!”
That was President Donald Trump’s one-word response on Twitter to the Senate after it passed a resolution to overturn his national emergency declaration on the southern border. The resolution passed 59 to 41, with 12 Senate Republicans voting in favor.
That was enough to pass the Senate, but 59 votes is not enough to override a veto. That takes two-thirds majorities in both chambers of Congress: 67 votes in the Senate, plus another 290 in the House. And it seems doubtful there will be the votes in either chamber to do so.
In February, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) dismissed the idea that the veto would be overridden with the help of House Republicans, saying, “I don’t see any way that would get overridden, if it were vetoed, in any way shape or form.”
Similarly, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) declared, “there will be nowhere near the votes to override a veto.”
Meaning, in all likelihood, the veto will stand. That’s that.
In Trump’s emergency declaration, he reprogrammed $8.1 billion of uncommitted military construction funds to building the wall and steel barriers along the southern border. It includes: “About $601 million from the Treasury Forfeiture Fund… Up to $2.5 billion under the Department of Defense funds transferred for Support for Counterdrug Activities (Title 10 United States Code, section 284)… Up to $3.6 billion reallocated from Department of Defense military construction projects under the President’s declaration of a national emergency (Title 10 United States Code, section 2808)…”
That will come atop Congress’ prior approval of $1.6 billion in 2018 for replacing existing fencing with new steel barriers and another $1.375 billion in 2019 for some new steel barriers Trump managed to get after the longest partial government shutdown in history.
That was more than Trump was going to get for the wall without doing the shutdown, but still far less than he needed in order to get the job done. With no other options, he invoked pre-existing limited authority granted by Congress, including 10 U.S. Code § 2808(a), which allows uncommitted monies to be redirected in the event of a national emergency.
It states, “In the event of a declaration of war or the declaration by the President of a national emergency in accordance with the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) that requires use of the armed forces, the Secretary of Defense, without regard to any other provision of law, may undertake military construction projects, and may authorize the Secretaries of the military departments to undertake military construction projects, not otherwise authorized by law that are necessary to support such use of the armed forces. Such projects may be undertaken only within the total amount of funds that have been appropriated for military construction, including funds appropriated for family housing, that have not been obligated.”
So, Senators’ posturing aside, the question is not whether Congress granted the fiscal reprograming authority when the President determines there is an emergency. It did 37 years ago in the 1982 Military Construction Codification Act, which expanded some of the authorities from the National Emergencies Act.
National emergencies have been declared more than 50 times in the past 43 years, but this is the first time Congress has ever attempted to overturn one.
As Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning noted in a statement, the fiscal reprogramming authority the President is invoking is similar to other authorities Congress grants: “[It] is no different than Congress’ authority to appropriate huge sums of money for broad purposes, leaving it to departments and agencies to determine how best to meet those goals via the contracting process. It is no different than the limited transfer authority Congress grants agencies every fiscal year.”
Manning added, “To pretend that this bit of discretion is different from all the other discretions it has granted is disingenuous at best.”
Indeed. Congress has not acted to repeal these authorities, or it would have done so long ago. The fact that Congress refuses to secure this country by adequately protecting the border pretty much creates the emergency and humanitarian crisis on the border, as drugs, gangs and human trafficking continues to press in. What’s different now is there is finally a president who is doing something about it.
Fortunately, Congressional Republicans have an opportunity to redeem themselves and get the wall built, by voting to sustain Trump’s veto. Now’s the time to fight.
I did a two minute search to some of the links mentioned in the article, and one of those 50 national emergencies goes, in part, like this:
President Clinton in 1995 enacted Executive Order #12957, declaring a national emergency around the supervising or financing by American citizens of Iranian petroleum resources. Simply put, we just can’t do that. Seems fairly innocuous to me, compared to the 72,000 Americans who DIED last year due to drugs coming illegally over the border into this country, or to the MANY THOUSANDS of Americans who have been raped, assaulted, robbed, kidnapped, or killed… NOT A NATIONAL EMERGENCY???!! Are you kidding me? C’mon, RINO’s, get it together!
Although it didn’t help much, I’m glad that our NC Senator Tom Tillis reversed his previous vote to block President Trump’s Emergency Declaration. I’m going to write to him now to thank him.
Incidentally, Beto wants to tear down existing walls. (If he wants to help illegals get into this country, he can just reach over the wall with those long arms of his…) He was all over the news yesterday, announcing his run for the democrat nomination in 2020, when just a few months ago, he had said “No, definitely not running for president.” I haven’t heard anyone mention the time he burglarized the college that, I believe, he was attending at the time.
Congress gave the President the power to declare a national emergency, on virtually any issue, in 1976. So the President is acting well within his constitutional authority in this matter. Now Congress, at least the Democrats and the usual Republican RINO’s, who are essentially Democrats masquerading as Republicans, are upset that the POTUS is actually choosing to recognize the ongoing threat that has existed on our southern border for decades and do something about it.
No doubt either of these political factions ever conceived of a possibility that a President, from either party, would actually use such authority to safeguard the nation and go so against the establishment agenda associated with globalism in such a direct manner. Neither political party, outside the few members of the House Freedom Caucus and maybe a handful of Republican Senators, actually want to secure our borders and clean up the immigration mess created over the years by various Democrat-enacted laws. That was indeed a safe bet to take before President Trump, a complete outsider to the political class that has controlled both parties since G.H.W. Bush succeeded Reagan. Now the leadership both parties are trying everything and anything to try and create a rational, believable argument the vast majority of the uniformed public will swallow as they try to circumvent the authority they abdicated to the President in 1976.
Obviously the 12 RINO Senators, who voted against the President, need to be removed from office when their present terms expire and replaced by constitutionally conservative Republicans. It would be too much to ask that voters from those states immediately begin recall petitions on each one of these sell-outs, as most people don’t want to put out that much effort. That is of course assuming the American people don’t mess up in 2020 and hand the country over to the Democrats. If that occurs, then we’ll all have far more urgent things to worry about as the Dems enact their GND, Medicare for All (single payer), and every other change they are currently calling “merely aspirational”.
I agree 100% with President Trump on securing the border as the necessary first step in protecting all Americans from the invasion of illegal people entering our wonderful country which includes rapists, murderers, drug smugglers, etc, all coming to harm our young people and others at great expense and sorrow to many,
I am so disappointed on the 12 Republicians who voted with the democrats. They need to decide if they are Republicans or democrates. Which ever side they need to quit straddling the fence either be all in or get out. I am sick and tired of their mess. Americans are not stupid we deserve better than what is in Washington. Career Politians need to go. 2 terms gone!
This is not about the wall it is about politics and not letting an outsider have a win. The good old boys are trying to show they are still in charge. No one and they mean no one is going to break up their system of power. Most everyone in Washington voted for a wall during their term in office so the only difference is an outsider trying to make a difference
As the trend has always been with Trump in office, EVERY president before Trump has done multiple ‘presidential emergency’ actions, but ONLY Trump has had to put up with this BS from obstructionist democrats and backstabbing establishment ‘republicans’. Enforcing border policies enacted by democrats, he gets beitched at. 4 presidents before him declared a ‘border crisis’, (but did really nothing about it), Trump says same, we get ‘there’s no border crisis’.
Forge ahead, Mr President, the nation is with you.
The people who don’t realize the United States has a crisis on our southern border has their head stuck in the sand. GOD bless Donald Trump for attempting to correct this massive problem.
My senator NC Thom Tillis said he would be voting against Trumps National Emergency; as soon as I saw that I immediately emailed him and told him if he did I was promising him I would vote against him in 2020 no matter who the opposing candidate was. Apparently other North Carolinians must have pulled his string because he did not vote with the other turncoat Republicans. Whether I made a difference or not, I’ll never know but he changed his mind for some reason. I still don’t trust him or any other politician.
I hope (believe?) those Republicans who voted for the resolution were only doing so in an attempt to show some “across the aisle” cooperation while still knowing that Trump would use his VETO power and the resolution would not go anywhere.
Merry
Excellent President Trump
I say that President Trump, My President, should veto the bill.
I feel that those twelve Republican Senators have done what their hearts have dictated. They all agree with Trump on the Wall, they just feel the Emergency Declaration is not the answer. I think a better avenue is to find a way to use confiscated funds, such as the El Chapo money. Even getting donated funds by him for something good for his family or just take it. We have it, and what better way to build the Wall.
Is it to early to ask …….”Give me an Amen”…and God Bless an American President….Donald Trump.
I stand with the President of the United States! BUILD THE WALL! Shame on Congress!
This is great news. Now the people of this country can feel a little safer.
YEE HAA Mister PRESIDENT. Put the spurs to em!
We voted in the majority and now we get this from the RHINOS
Build the wall.
Build the Wall no matter what must be done. America sees what the Left is doing, and we do not like it. Where are our rights as true Americans ? We want the Wall. God Bless President Trump.
I’m personally sick of our republicans in office not backing up the building of the wall. People in our conservative ranks beware time is near where we need to run for the hills, because we are not standing up and fighting for our protection and rights! To be a believer with faith in common decency and respect of human life at the core of our values does not equal to being afraid to stand firm for our causes. My life isn’t worth the air I breathe if I am unwilling to fight for what is RIGHT!!! I know I will get rebuttals for speaking this way, but I am a 63 year old 9 times a grandma and disabled because of violence against me because our laws protect the disorder in human societies. So if it can happen to me it can happen to you! Satan is real, he is out to steal kill and destroy conservatives in America because we stand for the flag and kneel at the cross! He is coming for us all if we do not unite and let the world know Christ was not a coward and we should not be either. May God save America, as we look to HIM for our strength!
God bless Donald Trump for his voice and choice to protect the citizens of the USA by building a much-awaited border wall on our southern border. It was agreed to and made law in 1985. For over 30 years congress has lied to us, betrayed us, abused us financially and acted like reigning nobility to prevent our sovereign borders from being protected, defined and a source of national defense. They made choices that benefitted their wallets to the detriment of We the People.
Thank you, President Trump. Kim is exactly right.
Thank Goodness that we have a president who is focused on security. The senators who’ve voted against this are aiding and ebetting the enemies of these United States and that is a crime. Representatives who don’t desire to protect this nation should not be in service.
Vickie, I’m right there with you. I am sick and tired of republicans never being able to stick together for the broader interest of what needs to be accomplished…….do those 12 honestly believe that the dems wouldn’t stick together if the tables were reversed, regardless of what they personally felt was right or wrong……Dems do this every day of the week. The Reps never seem to pass up a chance to step in their own way.
It breaks my heart that the Democrats put illegals, not “undocumented”, ahead of my children and grandchildren. It totally disgusts me that certain “Republicans” are doing the same.
I stand with President Trump. Sen. Blunt is our senator and I will be pushing to vote him out.
It never fails when push comes to shove, Republicans, at least some, give into the Democrats. Republicans had the chance the past two years to get this done and they didn’t.
Very disappointing! There’s always enough traitors in the republican party to betray the voting base on important legislation. The list includes the usual suspects – Murkowski, Collins, Alexander, Portman, and of course the carpetbagger Romney. Please, if anyone of the twelve GOP senators responsible is from your state – vote’em out! They’ll make better democrats.
Vote out the 12 traitors that didn’t work with the President!
Essentially, from what I’ve seen of the treasonous demorats and RINOs in the past 50 years, those traitors need to be imprisoned in solitary confinement behind a wall 50 feet tall, topped with electrified razor wire, surrounded by a moat filled with BIG, hungry crocodiles, and patrolled by guards armed with automatic rifles and Browning .50 caliber machine guns.
NOTE: Remember the Democrat Secretary of State Dean Rusk committed treason during the Vietnam War by sending the North Vietnamese communists American military maneuvers which gave the communists a heads-up on everything that the military was planning. That’s why our pilots were shot down and imprisoned in the Hanoi Hilton where they were beaten and tortured for years.
Then, to add to the viciousness, our military veterans came home to America and were reviled and cursed and spat on by the communist democrats. Even wounded veterans in wheelchairs missing arms and legs received that kind of vicious homecoming.
That’s the Democrat idea of what it means to be an American. Democrats are the epitome of all that is evil. That’s all.
Stop voting for the democrats and rhinos. They are destroying the country.
They don’t want the wall because that is one of the things Trump promised the people who voted for him.
I will still vote for him on 2020. I am going to be 80 this year and have never seen such hate towards a president.
Please Pray for our president daily.
Support our President that is why you were elected!!Stand firm President Trump
This is a national emergency and Trump is doing what needs to be done. Contrary to the way things have been done in Washington before, promise and stall and get nothing done. Are border needs to be secured. Build the wall so we can move manpower to points of entry. Stop the flood of illegals, drugs and criminals now.
If the Democrats passed the wall the President would not have had to go around them. This ability to do so is there for a reason, so that when the Congress are more conserend with power that the safety of the country. It is checks & balances of our government system.
Thank you President Trump for the veto! Thank you for putting America & American’s first!
I want to see the wall built! I think the president is trying to accomplish good things, but am ambivalent on how he’s doing it. There are principled, Constitutional Senators who are opposing it. I don’t want to see the Constitution diminished for pragmatism. This is a really tough call.
I am also greatly disappointed in the 12 Republican Senators who voted with the democrats. Especially the Utah Sen. Romney and Lee. I think we should send all illegals captured to Utah since they seem to feel the border is safe and let them deal with the problem that exists in Texas and Arizona. It also exists in California but they don’t care either as it increases their liberal voting base and also since they are already broke it doesn’t seem to bother them.
Wide open borders have got to go. Walls are the standard in most of the world . Come in legally you will be welcome ??????
Go trump go
The so called Republicans who voted against should face the consequences on election day.
He is the only president in years that is wanting to protect America. God Bless President Trump. Build the WALL!!!!
OurTN RINOis a lame duck, TN has an opioid problem and he dodged it by this cowardly act. Never voted against Obama, or GW when they did it numerous times.
I agree with President Trump. I am very disappointed with the Republicans who voted ? with the Democrats. Republicans better learn to stick together and be unified with their party or become democrats. The democrats never break rank. Smarten up Republicans or you are going to lose your seats in Congress. Term Limits are coming and this is why. Two terms and goodbye ?.
I emailed all of the resistant senators, then sent Senator Tillis a big thank you for his change of heart in keeping America safe. Please think about doing the same as we need to let these senators know we appreciate their clear thinking! These RINOs need to be booted out of office. They dislike our President and have thrown every possible obstacle in his path. As Manning stated “To pretend that this bit of discretion is different from all the other discretions it has granted is disingenuous at best.” You can’t say it any better than that.
President Trump, we’re with you 100%. Build the wall.
The gutless Republican’s we voted in. Time they go and do what the citizens voted them in to do.
Build The Wall !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is extremely sad that those 12 Republicans voted with the Democrats. I think they are completely out of touch with what America wants and that is a secure border.
Why in the world would they let down the President, their fellow Republicans and the overwhelming desire of the American citizens.
President Trump is the first President to face the border problem with the correct solution, secure our border.
Congress granted Presidents the authority to declare a national emergency and reappropriate funds from other areas of the budget in 1976. It has been used 50 times in 43 years (more than once a year on average). Yet this is the first time congress has tried to override the President’s declaration. THAT is unprecedented.
Hold FIRM President Trump with your Veto! We’re Praying for you and all those of kindred spirit…We’re even are praying for your opponents.
Shame, SHAME, and DOUBLE SHAME on you “turn coat” REPUBLICAN Senators for Not voting to Protect American citizens and thode who are exploited victims of sex, illegal, and drug trafficking!! They are as followed:
Alexander, TN; Blunt, MO; Collins, MA: King, INDEP. from ME; LEE, UT;
Moran, KS; Murkowsi, Alaska; Paul, KY; WICKER, MS; Toomey, PA; RUBIO, FL; Romney, UT; Portman, OH