Veto pen is ready
Don: I’d whack Dem efforts to stop my wall
President Trump made clear Friday he’s prepared to issue the first veto of his presidency to fend off congressional attempts to block his national emergency declaration to get funding for a Mexican border wall.
“On the wall? Will I veto it? 100%,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about a resolution introduced in the House that would rescind his legally dubious declaration.
Earlier in the day, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said her chamber will vote on the emergency-blocking bill Tuesday.
The measure is expected to pass, at which point it will be sent over to the Senate, where its fate appears a bit more murky.
At least 10 Republican senators have publicly criticized Trump’s order but none have committed completely to voting against it.
The bill needs 60 votes to pass the Senate, which is controlled by Republicans 53-47.
If the upper chamber passes the measure, Trump would have to veto it or back off his attempt to build a border wall without congressional approval.
The latter option appeared unlikely Friday.
“We have too many smart people who want border security,” Trump said before reiterating, “Yes, I will veto it.”
Trump declared an emergency on Feb. 15, claiming there was a full-blown “crisis” enveloping the southern border even though illegal border crossings have plummeted over the past two decades.
The White House says Trump’s order has enabled him to take about $8 billion from Pentagon reserve budgets and use it toward building the wall he used to promise Mexico would pay for.
Democrats say the move is unconstitutional, as Trump is deliberately bypassing Congress to fulfill a campaign promise. They have pledged to do whatever it takes to block it.
A full-year spending package approved by Congress and signed by Trump last month tucks away $1.4 billion for the construction of 55 miles of “bollard” fencing on the border — far less than the $5.7 billion in wall cash the President wanted.
Besides congressional efforts to block the emergency, 16 state attorneys general have sued Trump over the order and have asked federal judges to impose injunctions against it. Several government watchdog groups have filed similar legal challenges.