Trump Vows To Veto Resolution Blocking National Emergency Declaration
President Donald Trump vowed Friday that he will veto the resolution seeking to block him from declaring a national emergency, The Hill reports.
The president told the press that he will “100 percent” veto the measure, even if it manages to pass the Republican-controlled Senate.
“Will I veto it? One hundred percent. One hundred percent. And I don’t think it survives a veto. We have too many smart people that want border security, so I can’t imagine if it survives a veto, but I will veto it. Yes.”
Earlier on Friday, as Reuters news agency reported, House Democrats introduced a resolution seeking to block Donald Trump from declaring a national emergency.
Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas is sponsoring the legislation, and 226 House lawmakers have joined him. One Republican, Representative Justin Amash of Michigan, is co-sponsoring the legislation as well.
“What the president is attempting is an unconstitutional power grab. If the Congress rolls over on this, the president is likely to do it again,” Castro said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that the resolution — which will be voted on Tuesday — will likely pass the Democratic-controlled House, adding Trump is declaring a national emergency to “honor an applause line in a rally.”
As detailed by a previous Inquisitr report, on February 16, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency in an effort to end the alleged “crisis” at the southern border. The order came following intense, but unproductive bipartisan negotiations, and after the longest government shutdown in United States history.
Deemed controversial, Trump’s declaration of a national emergency is meant to circumvent Congress and allocate funding for a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Building a wall on the southern border in an alleged effort to curb illegal immigration and stop the influx of drugs was one of Trump’s key campaign promises.
Trump pledges veto if Congress passes measure blocking wall declaration https://t.co/Nx6YfxyraQ pic.twitter.com/btUUO1JXAR
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) February 22, 2019
While the president is evidently eager to deliver on his promise, the route which he has taken — declaring a national emergency — has been criticized, even by some of his closest allies. Frequent Trump defender and constitutional lawyer Alan Dershowitz described the president’s order as a “mistake.”
While speaking to reporters on Friday, President Trump appeared confident and optimistic, predicting that his Republican colleagues will “stick” with him and support him.
“Everybody knows we need border security. We need a wall. I think it’s a very bad subject for the Democrats,” Trump said.
The president frequently criticizes the Democratic Party for allegedly embracing a policy of open borders. During the government shutdown, Trump suggested that the Democratic Party has been hijacked by the “open borders fringe,” according to RealClearPolitics.
