The US Senate voted 59-41 Thursday to reject President Donald Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to appropriate an additional $3.6 billion in funding to build a wall along the border of México.
Trump had used authority granted to him under the National Emergencies Act to direct funding from other military projects to address the alleged national emergency at the border. Under the Act, Congress has the opportunity to terminate the national emergency via a joint resolution. The House of Representatives passed the joint resolution in February.
All 45 Democratic Senators, both Independent Senators, and 12 Republican Senators voted to terminate the national emergency. The 41 nays came from Republic Senators. Senators Alexander (R-TN), Blunt (R-MO), Collins (R-ME), Lee (R-UT), Moran (R-KS), Murkowski (R-AK), Paul (R-KY), Portman (R-OH), Romney (R-UT), Rubio (R-FL), Toomey (R-PA), and Wicker (R-MS) joined Senate Democrats in voting yea.
The joint resolution now moves to Trump, who is expected to veto.
(Published by The Japan Times, March 15 2019)
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