Page 4 - AT

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 18 February 2019

White House indicates Trump to veto disapproval of emergency

By ZEKE MILLER against Trump — though
Associated Press there do not yet appear to
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. be enough votes to over-
(AP) — President Donald ride a veto by the presi-
Trump is prepared to issue dent. The White House’s
the first veto of his term if Miller insisted that Congress
Congress votes to disap- granted the president wide
prove his declaration of a berth under the National
national emergency along Emergencies Act to take
the U.S.-Mexico border, a action. But Trump’s decla-
top White House adviser ration goes beyond previ-
said on Sunday. ous emergencies in shift-
White House senior ad- ing money after Congress
viser Stephen Miller told blocked his funding request
“Fox News Sunday” that for the wall, which will likely
“the president is going to factor in legal challenges.
protect his national emer- Trump aides acknowledge
gency declaration.” Asked that Trump cannot meet
if that meant Trump was his pledge to build the wall
ready to veto a resolution by the time voters decide
of disapproval, Miller add- whether to grant him an-
ed, “He’s going to protect other term next year, but
his national emergency insist his base will remain by
In this Jan. 2, 2019, file photo White House senior adviser Stephen Miller listens as President Donald declaration, guaranteed.” his side as long as he is not
Trump speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington. The West Wing is digging in perceived to have given
Associated Press for fights on multiple fronts up the fight on the barrier.
as the president’s effort Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del.,
to go around Congress to told CBS’s “Face the Na-
fund his long-promised bor- tion” that he believes
der wall faces bipartisan Congress needs to act to
criticism and multiple legal “defend” its powers of the
challenges. After lawmak- purse.
ers in both parties blocked “I do think that we should
his requests for billions of not set the terrible prece-
dollars to fulfill his signature dent of letting a president
campaign pledge, Trump’s declare a national emer-
declared national emer- gency simply as a way of
gency Friday shifts billions of getting around the con-
federal dollars earmarked gressional appropriations
for military construction to process,” he said.
the border. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, a
California Attorney Gen- critic of Trump’s border
eral Xavier Becerra told policies, said he would sup-
ABC’s “This Week” that port legislation to review
his state would sue “im- Trump’s emergency dec-
minently” to block the or- laration, saying, “It sets a
der, after the American dangerous precedent.”
Civil Liberties Union and the Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan,
nonprofit watchdog group R-Ohio, told ABC that he
Public Citizen announced believes there are enough
Friday they were taking GOP votes to prevent the
legal action. Democrats supermajorities required to
are planning to introduce override a veto.
a resolution disapproving “I think there are plenty of
of the declaration once votes in the House to make
Congress returns to session sure that there’s no override
and it is likely to pass both of the president’s veto,” he
chambers. Several Repub- said. “So it’s going to be
lican senators are already settled in court, we’ll have
indicating they would vote to wait and see.” q