President Trump’s emergency declaration is all-but dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate, as Conservative Republican Senator Mike Lee (UT) has announced that he would be voting in favor of overturning the president’s border wall edict.
Lee, who became the 5th senate Republican to defy the order, told The Hill newspaper that he tried to “cut a deal” with Trump, but the president “didn’t appear interested” in any negotiating on the measure.
Shortly after The White House rejected his ARTICLE ONE Act, Senator Lee released a statement expressing his disappointment and intention to vote in favor of blocking the emergency declaration.
Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.), are the other four senators who are opposing Trump.
Lee’s bill would require “Congress to vote to approve future national emergency declarations after 30 days.”“Congress is supposed to be the first among the federal government’s three co-equal branches,” Sen. Lee said.
“For decades, Congress has been giving far too much legislative power to the executive branch. While there was attention on the issue I had hoped the ARTICLE ONE Act could begin to take that power back. Unfortunately, it appears the bill does not have an immediate path forward, so I will be voting to terminate the latest emergency declaration. I hope this legislation will serve as a starting point for future work on this very important issue.”
The stage is set for President Trump to veto congress. According to Wyoming Sen. Mike Barrasso (R), there aren’t enough votes in the senate to overturn the president’s veto.
