House fails to override Trump veto on border emergency

House Democrats failed Tuesday to override President Trump’s first veto of legislation blocking his national emergency declaration at the southern border.

The House voted 248-181 in favor of the override, shy of the 38 votes needed for the required two-thirds of the majority to overturn the veto.

14 Republicans joined all the Democrats to support the override.
GOP Reps. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), Francis Rooney (Fla.), Dusty Johnson (S.D.), Thomas Massie (Ky.), Justin Amash (Mich.), Fred Upton (Mich.), Jaime Herrera Beutler (Wash.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash.), Jim Sensenbrenner (Wis.), Greg Walden (Ore.), Mike Gallagher (Wis.), Will Hurd (Texas), John Katko (N.Y.) and Brian Fitzpatrick joined all Democrats in voting for the measure.

Trump declared a national emergency last month along the southern border that enable him to secure $6.7 billion for construction on the border. Congress, as a deal to fund the government through September only agreed to a smaller sum of $1.38 billion to build 55 miles of border barriers.

The emergency declaration drew unanimous opposition from congressional Democrats with a handful of Republicans joining forces with Democrats concerned over the balance of power under the constitution.

Trump vetoed the disapproval resolution two weeks ago, after it passed both chambers with bipartisan support.

“Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution and I have the duty to veto it,” Trump said during a veto ceremony a day after it cleared the Senate.

Democrats are expected to either file or join an existing lawsuit to stop Trump’s action, although they have been silent about their next legal steps. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the attempt to override the veto could help them in the courts as they continue to fight to block the resolution.

“Both chambers of Congress – a Democratic House and a Republican Senate – resoundingly rejected the President’s sham emergency declaration by passing H.J.Res.46,” Pelosi and Rep. Joaquin Castro, said shortly after the vote in a joint statement. “The President’s lawless emergency declaration clearly violates the Congress’s exclusive power of the purse, and Congress will work through the appropriations and defense authorization processes to terminate this dangerous action and restore our constitutional system of balance of powers. We will continue to review all options to protect our Constitution and our Democracy from the President’s assault.”

Outside of Congress, Trump’s declaration still faces federal challenges. A group of 20 states is backing a federal lawsuit seeking injunctive relief to block the emergency declaration and any diversion of congressionally appropriated funds.