The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)

Senate GOP effort on Trump border wall seems to fall short

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WASHINGTON — An 11thhour rescue mission by Republican senators to stave off an awkward defeat for President Donald Trump on his declaratio­n of a national emergency at the Mexican border, and to protect themselves from a politicall­y dicey vote opposing him, seemed to collapse Wednesday.

The setback made it all but certain that defections from his own party will force Trump to cast what could be his first veto — on a struggle directly related to his signature issue of building barricades along the southwest border. It also left Republican senators facing a painful choice: defy a president who commands passionate loyalty from conservati­ve voters or acquiesce to what many lawmakers from both parties consider a dubious and dangerous expansion of presidenti­al authority.

After a closed-door lunch, GOP lawmakers predicted the Senate would approve a resolution Thursday annulling the emergency Trump has declared along the border. The Democratic-led House passed the legislatio­n last month, meaning Senate assent would send it to Trump.

Republican­s hoped Trump would support a separate measure curbing a president’s powers to declare future emergencie­s. Had he done so, they thought, it would be easier for reluctant GOP senators to support the emergency Trump has proclaimed to steer $3.6 billion more than Congress has approved for barrier constructi­on.

But during the GOP lunch, Trump called Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, chief sponsor of the bill limiting future emergency declaratio­ns, and told him he opposed that proposal. The call was described by two officials who weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the matter and described it on condition of anonymity.

Also saying they would vote no were GOP Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Kentucky’s Rand Paul. Tillis and Collins face potentiall­y competitiv­e reelection fights in 2020.

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