Page 18 - HOH

A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 27 March 2019

Trump border emergency survives as House veto override fails

By ALAN FRAM ler had found Trump didn't state attorneys general
Associated Press scheme with Russia to help and others that could take
WASHINGTON (AP) — The his 2016 election, Tuesday's years to resolve.
Democratic-led House vote bolstered Trump's Trump insisted during his
failed Tuesday to override drive to build a wall along campaign that Mexico,
President Donald Trump's the boundary with Mexico, not taxpayers, would pay
first veto, salvaging his ef- a hallmark of his 2016 presi- for the wall. To keep the
fort to steer billions of extra dential campaign and a issue alive into the 2020
dollars to erecting border priority of his presidency. campaign season, House
barriers and delivering a "Thank you to the House Democrats may force fresh
victory to the White House Republicans for sticking to- votes on the emergency
in a constitutional and po- gether and the BIG WIN to- declaration in six months,
litical clash that's raged for day on the Border," Trump as the law allows.
months. tweeted. "Today's vote sim- The Pentagon sent lawmak-
Lawmakers voted 248-181 ply reaffirms Congressional ers a list last week of hun-
to overturn Trump's veto, Democrats are the party of dreds of military construc-
but that fell 38 votes shy Open Borders, Drugs and tion projects that might be
President Donald Trump accompanied by Senate Majority of the required two-thirds Crime!" cut to pay for barrier work.
Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, arrives for a Senate Repub- margin. Just days after At- While clearly a defeat for Though the list was tenta-
lican policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March torney General William Democrats, the vote af- tive, Democrats say that by
26, 2019. Barr announced that spe- forded them a chance backing Trump, GOP law-
Associated Press cial counsel Robert Muel- to reemphasize policy dif- makers were endangering
ferences with Trump and local bases to pay for the
change the subject from wall.
collusion allegations that Unhappiness over Trump's
have lost political clout. plan to siphon the money
Underscoring that, House from the military has be-
Speaker Nancy Pelosi come a bipartisan con-
placed her name atop a cern. On top of the $3.6
House Democratic fund- billion from construction,
raising email referencing the Pentagon has informed
the failed veto override, Congress that it wants to
writing, "I know grass- steer another $1 billion from
roots Democrats won't let personnel accounts to bor-
Trump's enablers get away der barriers.
with this." At a House Armed Ser-
Just 14 Republicans joined vices Committee hearing
all voting Democrats in Tuesday, panel Chairman
Tuesday's futile effort to Adam Smith, D-Wash., said
void Trump's declaration of it was wrong to use the
a national emergency at Pentagon as "sort of a pig-
the Southwest border. gybank-slash-slush fund."
By invoking that power, The committee's top Re-
Trump has said he will shift publican, Mac Thornberry
$3.6 billion from military of Texas, also said he op-
construction to erecting poses redirecting defense
barriers along that bound- funds.
ary. Congress has voted to Acting Defense Secretary
provide less than $1.4 billion Patrick Shanahan told the
for border barriers, leav- lawmakers that while his
ing Democrats and some department could pay a
Republicans fuming that future price for maneuver-
Trump is abusing his pow- ing around Congress, he
ers by ignoring Congress' was following a "legal or-
constitutional control over der from the commander
spending. in chief." Congress had ap-
Despite his veto remaining proved a resolution annul-
intact, Trump may not be ling the national emergen-
able to spend the money cy that Trump declared at
for barriers quickly because the U.S.-Mexico border in
of lawsuits by Democratic February.q