The House of Representatives failed on March 26 to override President Donald Trump’s first veto, leaving in place the national emergency he declared last month to redirect funding toward a U.S.-Mexico border wall construction beyond what Congress approved for the purpose.
Wall Fight
Trump declared the national emergency on Feb. 15, after Democrats in Congress blocked his request for $5.7 billion for wall construction. The wall funding dispute led to a shutdown of about a quarter of the federal government starting on Dec. 21.The proposal also included a list of measures generally supported by both parties, including humanitarian funding, drug detection technology, and extending protections for people who have fled wars and disasters.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) rejected Trump’s offer before he started his speech.
Emergency Powers
Trump’s declaration had enabled the transfer of $3.6 billion from the military construction budget toward wall construction. The president also ordered the shifting of an additional $3.1 billion, which did not require emergency powers.Together with the 2019 budget allocation, Trump should have enough to build about 324 miles of new fencing.
Congress Dispute
The House Democrats argued the Republican president had overstepped his authority by going around Congress’s refusal to fund a border wall, because the legislature has the power to control spending under the Constitution.“The founders (of the United States) did not want a monarchy; that’s what they rejected. What they wanted was a democracy,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on the House floor.
“We take an oath to the Constitution, not to the president of the United States,” she said.
But Republicans said Trump had acted legally under a 1976 law known as the National Emergencies Act, under which previous presidents had declared dozens of emergencies.
Mueller Boost
Trump’s position on March 26 was strengthened by Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s conclusion, after a 22-month investigation, that the Republican president’s campaign team did not collude with Russian interference in the 2016 election. Moscow has denied meddling.That political victory for Trump may make it easier for Republicans to back the president on a range of issues, including his border emergency.
“Even though the two issues clearly aren’t related, it increases the president’s strength and popularity and puts him in a stronger position,” Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said before the vote.