Instead of having a biography written in his honor proclaiming him the great leader of the senate in the most difficult time in this country’s history, he will be written about and remembered by its citizens as the weak, do nothing, hypocritical person who took side with a criminal president and let this country down. He is not a leader. He is not a true congressman. He is a sellout. God grant us a leader with ethics and morals next. This country can’t afford another one of his ilk.
11
In other news, Israel's Gaza Wall failure, due to tunneling is forcing that administration to build a wall underground.
Besides the fact that immigration comes from all over the world, and many many people overstay, not just our S of the border friends, a wall that's a fraction of the size hasn't worked. It's stupid.
4
News flash...Trump grabs for Pandora's box, Senate Republicans have a Constitutional #metoo moment.
6
There have been a lot of things this president has done that have never been done before. My God insure it doesnt happen again.
3
Interesting – these votes are really proxy votes on what impeachment could look like...
Somewhere – John Kelly playing a round of golf instead of pulling a smartphone out of someone’s hands before they get themselves in trouble...
Worst he has to care about these days – someone outranking him asking to fudge on the scorecard after a quintuple-bogey...
And the smell of freshly-cut putting greens in the morning – smells like...victory...
3
This is pure Kabuki Theater. If Republicans had any backbone, they would vote unanimously to overturn this unconstitutional over-reach and over-ride Trumps veto. Cowards...
9
Mr. McConnell is a traitor to his oath of office. He personally has helped devalue the Senate and Congress.
His full participation in the emperor trump's vision of one man rule is unlawful and disgraceful. This is so bad that even Rand Paul disagrees.
13
"Other senators . . . have raised the possibility of amending the National Emergencies Act to curtail the powers available to the president and give Congress more oversight over a declaration."
This is the larger answer. Take the power back to Congress. Presidents should not be making laws. Especially when presidents can be elected by a minority of people in the country, they should not be legislating.
Surely this is a matter on which all members of Congress can agree? Of course, it could look bad for Trump, but after he gets what he wants, and those who don't want a wall are suitably oppressed yet again by this "Republican" president, perhaps there would be a quick window for change?
1
If the bill passes and Trump vetoes it, at least it will be amply clear that it is Trump and Trump alone who has violated the Constitution.
4
The Border Patrol is detaining 76,000 border crossers per month, or 912,000 a year. At this rate, the migrant detainee population would exceed the current population of Las Angeles in five year and population of New York City in just over 10 years. Of course, 76,000 is just the number caught; the Department of Homeland Security estimates the Border Patrol catches only arbor 52 percent of illegal border crossers.
In pervious decades, the vast majesty of illegal border crossers were Mexicans, who could be swiftly returned go Mexico after spending only a few days in custody. Today, the majority are Central Americans who cannot be speedily deported. The Customs and Border Patrol says “The system is well beyond capacity, and remains at the breaking point,” and yet some Senators cling to the fiction there is not border emergency.
2
Why is it assumed the House will fail to override a veto?
2
Wouldn't it be nice if Congress could overturn the National Emergency with a simple majority after 30 days?
2
When will it be time for McConnell and his cronies to stop being "Republicans" and start being Americans? Enough is enough.
9
I’m not impressed. They know that they can get their wall and save face at the same time with this vote. All they have to do is vote against it now, and then fail to override a veto by a single vote. I’m sure they’ve thought it out if I can.
3
For Republicans in the Senate, this is the vote that separates those that support the Constitution and a nation of laws over those who are cognitively challenged throwbacks, eschew the Constitution, laws, and ethics, and support one-man dictatorial rule.
Please post the Senate vote, naming names on each side.
The fact that only a few Republican senators, so far, are even willing to support their own legislative body and the separation of powers is more than disappointing.
5
Wishful thinking that Trumps grip on the throat of the Republican party is slipping. Losing this vote is meaningless because he'll veto it and congress won't even come close to overturning the veto. Even McConnel is terrified that Trump will primary him, so where does that put the every other Republican?
1
So many things that have never been done before - because even our least ethical past Presidents and Senators were better than Trump and McConnell. No, you don't get to edit the House bill, and No, you don't get to use an emergency declaration to claim the Power of the Purse for the Presidency, creating a dictatorship rather than our balance of powers.
4
Teddy Roosevelt had a similar problem in the sense that he wanted to do something the Congress didn't want to provide the funds for: sail his Great White Fleet around the world.
Teddy being Teddy ignored them and sent them off anyway, knowing they'd have to provide the funds to get them back. A lesson for Trump, veto and start building.
1
It's almost worth risking a border wall to see Mitch McConnell in such a pickle - and one he deserves. He made an ill advised deal with the devil, and now he must pay the piper. It almost makes me laugh to think of McConnell trading a non-veto of the budget bill for support of Trump's emergency declaration. At lease he'll learn why you don't do deals with DJT.
See: RevolutionOfReason.com
2
Re: Mr. McConnell is exploring whether he can amend the House-passed resolution of disapproval, to send it back to the House and slow its trip to the president’s desk.
I didn't realize this was one of those "hurry up and wait" emergencies with a side of "when we get around to it."
7
This descendant of Loyalist refugees from the 1st American rebellion has to admit to a certain degree of smugness looking at the situation amongst my American cousins. For hundreds of years they have justified treason, rebellion and persecution of those loyal to the Crown by the refusal of George III and the North government to apply the English constitutional maxim of taxation only with the consent of the taxed to England's overseas possessions. And -- up until last week -- I might have had to admit that they had a point.
But I would have been wrong. According to the current President, this wasn't the case at all. It wasn't the King's usurpation of traditional taxation and spending powers which led to the rebellion. That was perfectly OK. It was -- apparently -- something else. But, glancing over Thomas Jefferson's apology for the rebellion -- sometimes called the "Declaration of Independence" -- that really leaves only two possibilities. The read-between-the-lines fear expressed by a colonial slaveholder in light of the growing English abolitionist movement, and (more explicitly) resentment that the government in London wasn't willing to toss its' native American allies entirely under the bus. Neither of which, one has to admit, is particularly admirable.
It is nice to see my ancestor's beliefs and actions in their opposition to the rebellion vindicated -- by an American President no less -- even if it did take 250 years.
2
McConnell is a disgrace to our country.
Trump Toadies, like Mitch McConnell, prefer to move slowly and have an ungainly walk when it comes to any form of legislation that Trump wants to smash. The Trump Toady's skin is covered with wart-like lumps, and in Mitch McConnell's case, they also have waddles and often are mistaken for fish due to their sllimy nature.
The common Trump Toady, in its GOP Senate range, is steadily and surely losing its habitat and can be seen as on the decline.
There is a steady decline in the number of toadies in the GOP-Trump habitat because the political life cycle of Donald Trump is - in a word - GRIM.
At this point, in terms of credibility, it is advisable not to expect the Trump toady to last longer than a glass of stale beer.
5
"Grip on GOP slipping"
I doubt it, this corrupt GOP Congress will protect him no matter what
4
IF trump succeeds with his fake emergency to gain funding for HIS useless wall. Watch what happens when our next president is a democrat. If that president declares an "emergency" republicans will all be whining about "presidential over reach" and doing all they can to obstruct. Just as they did when Obama and Clinton were in office. Party OVER Country is the essential republican stance. Republicans and mcCONnell define the words: hypocrite and hypocrisy.
5
Somehow I don't think the Democrats much care about a rebuke from Bone Spurs.
6
Scrolling for something to watch Sunday I discovered A&E 3 part series "The Trump Dynasty". I completed 2 taped 1 & 3. I watched 3 not being able to fast forward and I deleted part 1 because my stomach couldn't take it. In his younger years he was determined to run for the Presidency. Big problem his equally wealthy people knew he lied and deflected blame. He knew he couldn't get loans in U.S. so went to German Bank (they were cleaning Russian Oligarch $). He decided on middle folks by promoting wrestling in the heartland. Those middle folks loved the millionaire who cared because he was setting them up as his type of voter. He attacked Obama's birth, spoke at CPAC & other organizations about trade, U.S. carrying load for others, unfair trade and even immigration in the 90's. He was building his base. Here in NJ a blue state we did not vote for him. Our middle folk got a real good taste of Trump. The Taj Mahal had 14% interest rate & it would not make enough to cover the debt. So Trumpster decided to create a company that would sell an investment in it and those middle folks invested & lost everything. He walked away with money from that as well as stiffing employees, trades, Companies that provided services and products causing many to go bankrupt. We NJ middle folk saw it with our own eyes. He walked away with $ in his pockets. Who do the evangelicals pray to a God or someone they think is a heavenly being? This should be required watching. Sad so sad
12
The Nay votes of four GOP senators is hardly a signal that Trump's support is slipping. I offer as example Rand Paul's statement that his vote was to prevent a "National Emergency" precedent that the Dems could use when they next hold the White House. I'm guessing that was at least part of justification, even if unstated, of the other three GOP votes.
2
At the last minute, Manchin or some republican who has been promised some featherbedding project in their home state, will cave and vote against the bill. It will similar to McCain turning his thumbs down on another vote, but with less morality.
1
Mitch McConnell seems to think he is part of the Executive Branch and not the Legislative Branch - where did he learn his civics?
2
This is only the first test, the first trial balloon by Trump and McConnell to see if our Constitution can be shredded into confetti for the Republican party.
Once they have figured out where the minor flaws and weaknesses are in their initial assault, they will come back time and again until they find ways and means to establish total authoritarian rule.
Right now it is the "conscience" of a very few people that are holding our Constitution a viable system of governing.
Knowing full well that Senators are only a commodity to be bought and sold, our country is on the auction block.
4
Oh, come on, Mitch, let's pass the thing by acclamation and make it veto-proof! You'll feel much better afterward.
2
McConnell's concern is not that the President is usurping the power of the purse held by Congress but that someday a Democratic President may in turn do the same. Such a principled man!
2
Mitch McConnell's legacy will be that he handed the Senate to Donald Trump and in doing so ,abdicated his responsibility as Majority leader in the Senate. This may not seem like such a big deal under normal circumstances but when we are dealing with a tyrant and an autocrat like Donald Trump, a man who has abused his power, obstructed justice, and broken the law, it is actually a much bigger deal.
It would have been great for McConnell to have shown a little backbone and to show that he still has a shred of integrity and principle as Senate majority leader. Instead he has managed to show his weakness and in doing so he will seal his legacy as one of the worst Republican Majority leaders in our history.
Many of us used to wonder whether McConnell was crazy like a fox or, crazy, like FOX News ; at this point it does not matter anymore .
What does it matter from this point on in Congress, and especially in the Senate is competence.
2
That McConnell is still trying to provide cover for Trump, even when he admits that Trump is overreaching executive authority, is obscene. Mitch has apparently forgotten that his sworn duty is to defend the Constitution - not Trump.
4
A vote against the border barrier is a vote for allowing illegal immigrants to enter the US unimpeded.
In politics, 'follow the leader' is a fundamental aspect of a coherent government. But no GOP leader has ever been as brash as Trump. The actions of McConnell on Trump's border wall executive order look more like the classic Stanley Migram psychological experiment on obedience to authority....ie McConnell... "I was just following orders."
2
Mitch McConnell should be investigated for crimes against this country. He has received funding from Russia via the NRA. He does nothing to improve this country for all people. He can't help himself, as he was taught these things growing up in Alabama. The whole nation is now witnessing the Alabamafication of America. Corrupt to the core.
3
Trump is destined to become the first lame duck president in his first term in the history of the country. Republicans that want to survive will need to start distancing themselves from the sinking ship known as Trump.
3
Constitutional originalism has been exposed for what it is - a power grab seance with FOX news.
5
I'd be looking into this dudes background and personal life as he probably is connected to Mr Big and accepts bribes. Whose paying him behind the scenes. The drug cartels are firmly established in the USA because of people you think are above reproach are involved with the cartels as well. Time the USA got real about the drug problem/s.
1
Reality is there would be no drug cartels if there wasn’t a huge market for the drugs. We have created the need; the cartels are simply supplying what we demand
If Trump wants to trade in some troop housing for a vanity wall, who cares? Let's move on. If voters in Arizona and Texas overwhelmingly vote for Trump and Trump's for the wall, then let them have their wall. We're talking maybe $25 billion? that's only 250 F35s, or 2 Gerald Ford type aircraft carriers. We're not talking a lot of money here and you know it's going to get a certain amount of Texans wondering why they loved Trump so much. That's not too much money to solve this problem, the problem of convincing these racists that a wall won't really work. It's a price I'm happy to pay, just give me another tax cut and pay for it with the economic growth surplus. Ha ha.
3
"Trump’s Grip Shows Signs of Slipping as Senate Prepares to Block Wall Emergency"
NYT...You would LOVE this to be true wouldn't you?
This is a definitely a case of . 'Hey, If we write it, it has to be true, right?? I mean, it's a headline in a newspaper so everyone HAS to believe it!!!"
Such a misleading and partisan headline and story. But, not really a surprise. Exactly what our President means when he says "Fake News"
The headline could have ended after “slipping” and been perfectly accurate
1
A few points...
If Trump gets this funding, it'll only be enough for ~230 miles. During his "emergency" declaration, Trump said a wall's needed because people can go around the 700 miles we have now. When and from where does he plan to get the additional $20-25B to complete it?
Money that Trump would take for his wall has been approved for other projects. This money will have to be replaced in most cases. The problem will be five-fold if this "national emergency" sets a precedent for getting the remaining 80%.
If he's still around, Trump will probably get nominated, but there's little chance he'd win a general election. I sense he only wants enough funding to say he's started the wall - Trump NEVER thinks beyond his next rally. An unfinished wall would be a monument to a failure.
On a lighter note... I'm waiting for Trump to 'lash out' at Republican "traitors" who dare to oppose him.
4
McConnel is putting his party before upholding the constitutional separation of powers. Ceding to the president the power to fund anything against congress is tantamount to an act of treason in my opinion
3
1. Restore some minor checks and balances please. And give the Pres a chance to veto something - he will be thrilled!
2. Ronald Reagan did not see illegal immigrants as a problem. He saw it as great cheap gardeners, car wash, hotel staff, and the next generation as much needed workers paying into Social Security and Medicare.
5
Seems to me that these sentiments aptly encompass the conundrum we now face in Congress; it is all caused by one party supporting its president and his actions in contravention of their duties under the Constitution.
"However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion."
President George Washington's
FAREWELL ADDRESS | SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1796
7
About immigration.
Unless all your ancestors were citizens of one of the 13 colonies when they declared their independence from Britain in 1776, you are descended from immigrants. There are people today who proudly proclaim such "pure American" ancestry but they're a minority; most of us are either immigrants or descendants of immigrants. Even those who most fear and hate today's immigrants. So it's a bit late for Trump's wall, which, by the way, would have to be built on land we (well, President Polk anyway) stole from Mexico.
@archer717
Everyone here came from somewhere, including Native Americans. We are all immigrants with different dates of arrival. To deny entry based on country of origin is pure “racism” (understanding “race” is basically a mythology using skin color as a means to differentiate).
This is wishful thinking. I hate it when he liberal media overstate the case. Trump has a death grip on the Republican party and they are completely subdued. The 4 turncoat weasels know very well the votes aren’t there to override a veto. I hope I’m wrong. McConnell’s loyalty is clearly more to Trump than to the Constitution and his oath to uphold it or the country.
3
The McConnell playbook: delay, deflect, delay. This man does not know how to govern, only how to duck and cover and obstruct. McConnell is obviously an intelligent man but chooses to use this power for ill rather than good. He has singlehandedly diminished the institution he supposedly reveres.
7
Guns and drugs don't mix. Approve the wall if you don't want your children to become victims of drug dealers and cartels.
1
What none sense. The influx of refugees at the border has nothing to do with guns or drugs.
2
@CK
Right, because without immigrants there would be no gun violence or drugs...except most of our gun violence is self-inflicted with citizens doing the violence AND we are the market that drives the drug trade. If you are a free-marketer, you would support the people meeting demand with their supply.
1
@CK
I wasn't aware that FOX news had reached New Zealand.
3
McConnell is the most entitled person in this country, as revising the House measure too obviously subverts the spirit of the procedure. He fancies himself supremely ordained to dictate the path of our country, and that is where he failed in his role to defend our democracy. As he tells us what a danger the poor and powerless present to our country.
3
Just sent this to my congressman:
Dear Congressman Mast:
Thank you for your reply. Your generic reply included this statement: "As you may also be aware, the House of Representatives passed a resolution on February 26, 2019, to overturn President Trump’s emergency declaration on the border wall. The resolution will now be taken up by the Senate."
I am keenly aware of the fact that you voted against this resolution intended to prevent the misuse of emergency presidential authority, just as you voted against the resolution that would have allowed you to perform the House oversight function of the executive branch and examine Donald Trump's tax returns. Having Democrats force the issue to the Senate does not absolve your failure.
I am disappointed because your choice of party over country is not what I expected of you, again.
17
"... your choice of party over country is not what I expected of you, again."
While I commend you for letting your Congressman know what you "expect", you seem to be unaware the Rep. Mast lost both legs in Afghanistan while serving with the US Army, so your specious attack on his loyalty is disgraceful.
"... you voted against this resolution intended to prevent the misuse of emergency presidential authority, ..."
And you need to explain why the President's emergency declaration is a "misuse" of his lawful authority.
The topic at hand is whether the emergency declaration and its ensuing move of funds is constitutional. The constitution says that the legislation branch holds the power of purse. There needs no more discussion about the legality and constitutionality of the president's move. I hope that, when the case reaches Supreme Court, the third branch of our government can find its copy of the constitution.
Now, whether having over 10 million, or roughly 3% of the national population, illegal immigrants qualifies as a national emergency, it is debatable.
34
@Frank Chang This isn’t a court case. It’s an impeachment case. Trump has abused his power and should be impeached.
8
We’ve had them for over a decade. Pretty slow emergency.
10
@Frank Chang Congress has the power of the purse, as it controls the money used to fund any executive actions.
6
The Wall should be approved, as your nation is riddled with Mexican drug cartels exporting drugs offshore.
Our new NZ governments major cash injection into the government run Customs Department has ramped up the fight on drugs. Most drug busts into NZ, from Mexico, are sent from the U.S.A..
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/03/sinaloa-cartel-behind-major-recent-new-zealand-drug-busts-experts.html
4
No they’re not.
At least some Republicans are waking up.
4
We must veto the president. The squandered time and depleted national treasure; the aborted opportunities for implementing positive programs, urgently necessary to the nation's well being; the breath wasted on discussing his misbegotten, ego driven charades . . . Enough! He is a demonstrably unhinged, shockingly incompetent, glaringly inarticulate, unhealthy blight on our nation. He should not only be removed from office, he should be denied traditional post-presidential Secret Service protection. Our nation needs protection from dtrump.
8
Its rants like these that will put Mr Trump back in office again.
Ms Collins will look like she is bucking the GOP leadership usually when her vote won’t matter, as will be the case here (Perhaps her ACA vote was one rare exception)
When it does count, as in the Kavanaugh hearing, she will fall in line.
5
What is the point of a process that says Congress can pass a resolution to override an emergency declaration if the president who issued the declaration can veto the resolution?
1
Respectfully, I disagree with Mr. Baker when he states:
"“It’s Congress saying: ‘This has gone far enough. We’re not going to roll over and play dead for the president,’” Mr. Baker said. "
It's the Democrats in Congress who believe this has gone far enough. Except for a very few outspoken Reps, most of them continue to demonstrate their fealty to Trump. Sad fact is, most Congressional Republicans are not standing up to Trump over their "institutional prerogatives."
Has anyone heard the term, "Slow-moving coup" before?
2
Re: McConnell's latest delaying tactic--the possibility of a Senate Amendment to the House Resolution
Leave it to McConnell to contemplate ways of making a bad situation worse.
5
Hopefully this is a wakeup call for Congress. After 8 years of Obama administration overreach and now this, we need bill to severely curtail the ability of the executive branch to declare emergencies, to move major funds around, and to make major policy that becomes de facto law.
From Trump's border wall to the Obama administrations DACA and EPA policies (among a host of others) we need to severely curtail the power of the executive branch.
Folks get complacent when they are end results they like (welll, he HAD to because Congress was not acting on it) but many of us have been upset about this for the past decade.
About the only non-hypocrite in Congress on this issue has been Rand Paul.
@Marvin
I’m pretty happy when a president uses authority to make lives better. The current president uses his power to enrich himself while driving the middle and lower classes into the ground. trump’s final world will have 90% of the population begging to do anything to feed the family and at the mercy of a cold but calculating 10%
1
Finally, a precious few GOPs in the Senate found a bit of conscience and a snippet of spine. Miraculous.
2
One would think there’s a national emergency.
2
“...fulfill his top campaign promise to build a wall on the southern border...”.
Please stop saying this. His promise was that Mexico would pay for it. The US paying to build a wall is breaking “his top campaign promise”.
6
It will take years to get this wall built. The Congress, through a bipartisan committee, appropratied funds. Trump is now trying to pull an end run around Congress. This is a Constitutional issue. There is no national emergency. The Senate should stand for thier oath to protect the Consitution. They should override this veto. I hope Senator Blunt votes to support this resolution. The Republoicans screamed about Obama circumventing Congress but now they seem just fine with it. Hypocritical.
3
Please stop calling it a “campaign promise”. It’s one of many jingoistic ignorant ugly things that came out of the man’s mouth during his campaign—one that lent itself to a catchy chant, that’s all.
Three years in and the mainstream media are still complicit.
5
Just when has HE ever had a Grip, on anything ???
Seriously.
2
And when the President vetoes it what then? Are you going to say the President has shown muscle? It will be real hard to say he's lost his grip when he apparently has a firmer grasp of the situation than the NYT would like to admit.
Uh, huh, Mitch McConnell must have tried really hard to talk other Republicans out of voting for passage. The most destructive force in politics for the past 25 years is a real American, thwarting the people's wishes, leading the tax cut for the rich and denying Merrick Garland even a hearing for the Supreme Court. When are we going to get rid of these people? They are literally killing us - climate change denial.
4
Looks like the Republican Party is bordering on an emergency.
1
According to what I just read in a New Zealand newspaper most drug busts by customs, coming into NZ are from Mexican cartel El Chapo, and they were shipped from the USA.
O.K. it's all about supply and demand but your nation has a serious problem as well, if you have El Chapo Mexican cartel shipping drugs from the USA so someone in government is taking bribes. You should be ashamed of yourselves not approving the border wall. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. These people coming across the border aren't refugees but drug cartels.
1
This really doesn’t tell the whole story. I’ve seen senators interviewed on TV, and many do not dispute that there is an emergency on the border, but they disagree with Trump doing an end run around Congress to fix it. Even as they admit congress failed to address the issue in a conclusive manner. Blame Trump for trying to fix a problem when congress tried and failed.
2
>>> "Blame Trump for trying to fix a problem when congress tried and failed."
No. We blame Trump for attempting to violate the legal requirements for separation of powers provided for in our Constitution.
This really shouldn't be difficult to understand.
6
The whole story is that several Presidents had championed bi-partisan immigration reform, but the nativists have blocked them again and again. Now, having failed to persuade Congress or a majority of Americans, the nativists are simply lying about everyone else's views and efforts and labeling their tantrum an emergency.
3
"...a powerful rejection..." What am I missing here?
A powerful rejection would be if this were the vote to overturn a veto by a majority and not a two-thirds majority. It is essentially a meaningless vote. It is no different than a parent verbally reprimanding a child and the child knowing that no real discipline is heading his/her way if the bad behavior continues.
Trump's parents sent him away when they couldn't control his behavior. It would be prudent if Congress followed that example.
8
Mitch McConnell has become just another puppet of Mr. trump and has lost all his credibility. But the very fact that this emergency Declaration was issued in the first place by a "so called" President would make any of the founding fathers roll over in their graves! He is taking power away from the elected congress and they should oppose this vigorously and I only hope Congress and the Senate will override his Veto- Trump has no business sitting in the Oval Office in the first place. He does not have even a tiny grasp of history and politics nor does he care how his decisions affect the people in this country. As I have been saying for a long time He ( and Pence) have to GO!
5
So Mitch McConnell "conceded" he could not unilaterally "stave off" a Senate vote and passage of a piece of legislation passed by the House? I would like to hear his actual words, but if he considers it his mission and his prerogative to prevent or delay floor votes on important legislation of any kind, or otherwise thwart the will of the people who elected those other 99 senators, we have a problem even bigger than an "imperial president" overreaching his constitutional powers. We have a Majority Leader acting like a dictator in his own realm, with the power to deny representation to all Americans except those in Kentucky who voted for him.
6
Republicans are starting to worry about whether they will have a seat in Congress in the future that's all this is about.
3
This issue has nothing at all to do with Congressional action, or whether the Republican Senate has finally grown a spine. Why? Because the "national emergency" issue will not be decided by Congress, nor will it be decided by Trump’s inevitable veto. This issue will be decided by the Supreme Court, which has five solid votes that will toady to Trump.
Recall that this Republican Supreme Court (very much a Republican court, regardless of Justice Roberts’ protestations to the contrary) handed Trump a victory on his Muslim ban, with absolutely no substantive showing of terrorists entering the U.S. from the banned countries. They have also favored Christianity (Bake Shop case) over Islam (death row inmate Domineque Ray). And they will side with Trump on something that is frankly just one more racist action he has taken, with a declaration of a national emergency that exists only in his mind. Anyone who seriously believes this Supreme Court will strike down this emergency declaration should think again. Before Gorsuch or Kavanaugh were even seated, it was the Roberts court that brought us Citizens United and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act.
This court will kowtow to Trump in upholding his emergency declaration. And when they do so, there will be no further doubt that we are living under a dictatorship. Their obeisance in the face of a wholly fictional claim should tell all Americans that Trump will not be checked by this Court.
3
>>> "This issue will be decided by the Supreme Court, which has five solid votes that will toady to Trump."
It would be a very serious mistake to bet the ranch on that.
"Democrats fumed at what they viewed as President George W. Bush’s expansive use of his executive powers; Republicans routinely accused President Barack Obama of exceeding his authority on issues like combating climate change and protecting certain classes of undocumented immigrants."
What is left out of this description is the Republican railed against President Obama for using Executive actions all the time. With Presoident Trump who done everything by Executive orders there is nary a whimper of him exceding the constituion. Congress has ceeded its power to President Trump. It is about time that congress has woken up to the fact that they have some power. Unfortunately it is only throuth the rubic of 'what wouuld a democratic persident do if we let Trump do this?' Congres is only worried about the other party coming to power in the future and being shut out of consultation by executive orders. If they would seek compromise on other things they may find the other party may do some compromising. At least that is how it should work.
3
Every Republican Congressperson and Senator not supporting this is a disgrace to the office and has failed in their duty to uphold the Constitution in the face of this sham national emergency and farcical Presidency.
History will excoriate.
6
King Donald the 1st of the USA
Donald Trump must be crowned as the first king of the United States of America. It seems that he has far more godly power than even the Catholic’s Pope when it comes to knowing what must be done to make his “the greatest nation in world history”. His earthly success will show that he knows what is right and what is wrong when it comes to many things including wars, protection of the American dollar including deficit financing, correcting the misbelief in global warming and even to demanding whatever is required from the US taxpayers.
As King, Donald Trump can win what his predecessor’s lost as he could eventually ...
Visit my Facebook site for the rest.
It is amazing to me that Mitch McConnell is so willingly tying his reputation to that of tRump.
1
For more than 200 years, Americans have boasted to the world about their constitution and how this precious document was the perfect expression of the democratic state. And for more than 200 years, both parties have played along with this mythical premise, praising their nation as the "beacon of freedom" in the world. Now, in just over two years, the election of a vacuous arriviste shows the whole edifice is built on sand. The Republicans (could a political party have a more ironic name?), have cast their fates with Trump and sit on their hands as he lays waste to America's relations with the world, the rule of law and any semblance of morality. That 46% of American support this state of affairs says everything the world needs to know about what has been exposed as a bigoted, racist state ruled by a shadowy cadre of self serving billionaires with a clueless clown at the head to do their bidding.
5
@Meusbellum...Except for several factual errors and your fundamentally flawed understanding of the US Constitution and American history, your comment is noteworthy. Speaking of "arriviste", are you francophones making any headway in declaring your independence from the British monarchy? Colonials is so passé.
1
The point’s pretty simple.
Constitution says Congress decides how the money gets raised, apportioned and spent.
In its own chaotic and confused way, Congress said no to the Wall.
Trump want wall.
Trump declare fake emergency to get around Congress.
This not Constitutional.
House vote to rebuke fake emergency. Senate will soon vote to rebuke fake emergency.
This because a) Constitution, b) politics.
Nothing in Constitution say decision can’t be made for politics.
McConnell trying to weasel around rules for politics. Politics okay, weasel not so much. See also Garland.
Trump and Trumpists still want wall, not interested in facts or Constitution.
Still a no.
We see if Trump have guts to veto. Him being gutless, probably try pocket veto and lying about p.v.
If veto, probably get away with it.
We wait, see what courts say.
Please vote. For ANY Democrat, real independent, socialist, or (if you can find one) Republican like gov of Maryland.
This not fun any more, and bad for country.
P.S. for the rest of his life, ignore Lindsey Graham any time he uses the words, “Constitution,” or “Principles.” Still loathe your politics, Senator, but was foolish enough to think that at least you had principles.
2
@Robert...
Fact. Wall already bilt Cal Ariz Tex.
Fact. Dems vote these Walls.
Fact. Dems not vote tear down Walls.
Fact. 2019 Cong vote $1.375 B more Wall.
Fact. SCOTUS not decide Wall.
Fact. Trump bild more Wall.
Fact. 1787. Const signed 9/17. Elect Coll.
1
“Without question, the president’s order for more wall money contradicts the will of Congress and will, in all likelihood, be struck down by the Supreme Court,” Mr. Paul wrote. “In fact, I think the president’s own picks to the Supreme Court may rebuke him on this.”
For once, I agreed with Rand Paul, something I never thought I'd say. Mr. Trump's attempted end run around Congress must be stopped. This is an effort to extend his power more than it is an effort to fix immigration problems.
When Republicans controlled both houses of Congress, Trump would not agree to various compromise proposals on immigration that would have avoided many humanitarian issues the Trump administration has caused. Why would he expect to get more than he was offered then, now that Democrats control the House?
We need sane immigration policies and laws, fairly administered. The Trump administration is not providing that.
4
Yes, The Con Don is really losing it. He was a crazy man at the CPAC cult meeting.
Thanks to the media who covered and reported on it. Anyone who saw him hug OUR flag as a stage gimmick should be outraged.
He must be removed NOW before he can cause any further damage to OUR United States of America and OUR lives.
15
Cool. What’s your Glorious Plan?
@njglea...We'll certainly never see a liberal hug the American flag.
Then you are not looking, Edmud. Most of us mentally thank the symbol of OUR freedom - the flag - every day.
1
Interesting historical note:
When Congress passed the legislation to curtail the President's emergency powers it provided that a simple majority of both houses would end an emergency. The President couldn't veto it. The Supreme Court said that was unconstitutional, that the President had the ability to veto any legislation passed by Congress.
That put us in our current situation in which a President backed by one third plus one in either chamber can do whatever he pleases.
A very bad set-up as we can all now see. The solution is a new law which says that a Presidential emergency declaration automatically expires within a short time frame unless both houses of Congress approve it.
That doesn't quite restore the original set up under which both houses of Congress could end an emergency since either chamber could bring one to an end. But it would clearly be better than the current insanity under which a President is almost impossible to stop if he retains support from his own party.
16
The point was that it was un-Constitutional to take away the Executive’s veto power in order to remedy the Executive’s taking away the Legislative’s power of the purse.
As always, the real remedy is with voters.
Did you?
1
Yes, and the Supreme Court fatuously failed to recognize that the entire law needed to be struck down. By eviscerating authority congress retained for itself, the court altered the balance in the law in the president’s favor. Even an outright repeal of the law could be vetoed by the president.
This is a classic case of severability, whether part of a law can be nullified without altering its overall intent and effect. Strange the Learned Nine could get something so basic so wrong.
Ms. Collins and Ms. Murkowski are both sponsors of a separate resolution....
Two of the five Republican women senators have stepped up to defend Congress's powers against an encroaching President. Good for them. Good for us.
I hope it's not conceived as prejudiced to say that we need more women in politics, and that the Republican Party needs women most of all. My thanks to these two senators for their strong position right now.
12
Oh please.
Anyone who thinks Donald Trump will be in any way affected by the Senate's vote has not been paying attention. It's just words and if we know anything about Donald Trump it's that words - his, yours, mine, the Senate's - signify nothing, bind him to nothing, reflect nothing other than noise to fill the audio track when the cameras are on. He will not be embarrassed, deterred, rebuked, chagrined or otherwise influenced. He might be briefly irritated by this empty gesture of opposition, but only because his ego is so fragile that even the slightest slight is intolerable. I'm sure Senator Paul, Senator Graham and other members of the Quisling Chorus will rush to assure him that he's still their Beloved Great Leader.
Thus, for all the lofty sentiments about separation of powers, Congress reasserting its role, blah, blah, blah...the resolution of disapproval is instead a Potemkin version of governance; it lets a dozen or so Republican proclaim their "independence" and "willingness to break with the president" before racing once around the yard to throw themselves at Mr. Trump's feet to have their bellies scratched.
Mark me down as unimpressed.
18
@Jon Austin Duly noted.
Should they fail to adequately rebuke the president I plan on sending my GOP Senator and McConnell each one of those upsetting horse masks to remind them of the politician they most admire: Caligula's favorite legislator Incitatus. Maybe someday they'll carry as much water for a mad emperor as that apocryphal horse did.
2
According to a recent Yale study, there are over 20 MILLION foreign nationals residing in our country illegally. We spend $billions (year after year) tending to the problems generated by these people and their offspring. Enough already! Our government’s obligation is to act in the best interests of our own citizenry, and that doesn’t include playing host, patron, and nursemaid to millions of illegal aliens brazenly trespassing into our country. Stop it!
14
"According to a recent Yale study, ..."
The National Review discusses that study and notes that if the number of illegals is higher, that means that the crime rate is lower:
"... double the population [of illegals] means that the crime rate for illegals might actually be half of what is generally claimed."
Conflicting New Estimates of Illegal Immigration
By Jonathan S. Tobin
November 30, 2018
nationalreview dot com
19
@Michal
Where do you get your facts? Does the Yale study (or any other study) state that our government spends billions each year on their "problems?" Common sense says they all pay taxes and help support you and your offspring. The "foreign nationals" I know and deal with pay more tax than you.
38
That Yale study said zippo about costs, and relied on precisely the kinds of mathematical models that you scream at when they’re applied to the way we’re warming the planet.
Nor is it the issue here. The issue here is a little thing called, wossname, oh yes, “The Constitution of the United States of America,” which you similarly wave like a bloody flag unless it inconveniently gets in your way for any reason.
42
Trump will veto it as he should. Will not be voting for any Democrat until they get serious on immigration.
2
Spending billions on a vanity wall is not a serious attempt to solve complex immigration problems. Unfortunately it's all the "big brain" president can manage.
3
Most all of the Democrats, Republicans and Independents ARE serious about security and border issues...
Take a look at the actual FACTS & proposals on the table and stop listening to one man who is a pathological liar.
The majority of the US strongly prefers effective, smart and multi-pronged approach to border security and not a wall that will be overcome (by going over or under).
Perhaps we can start all listening to each other and developing good, effective and strategic answers to the many challenges we face instead of listening to the litany of lies and propaganda...
4
@M So you're saying a president can now fund whatever they want so long as they threaten to call it a crisis for months, then finally make it an "official" crisis. Hail to the King!
2
“I truly don’t see this as sending a message at all one way or the other about border security but rather about executive overreach.” (Collins)
This is not an either/or situation. It is sending a message about procedures for border control and "executive overreach," yet another euphemism for abuse of presidential power.
3
Perhaps, Senator McConnell, you should actively pursue as many Republicans votes FOR overturning Trump's emergency declaration instead of your fake hand wringing over breaking ranks with Trump. We know you have the power to do so. So, do it.
9
What's the problem? As Trump promised us all, Mexico is going to pay for the wall. In fact, their check is in the mail.
8
“It simply sends a message that Congress is going to stand up for its institutional prerogatives ...” Ms. Collins said on Monday."
It WILL simply send a message, IF Collins and others do as they say. Not much history on that being the case. If they do, you can bet it's because McConnell has secretly built an escape hatch so they can wriggle free of their 'stand'.
All hat and no cattle.
All sizzle and no steak.
All icing and no cake.
3
I wish I trusted the joy-filled metaphor of this congressional "rebuke". Finally Congress is standing up for its oversight and separation of powers? Good but meager.
If Trump's probable veto were overturned, THEN we might be at a ltoo-ong-awaited turning point for the nonstop Senate majority support of this unsupportable president.
PLEASE! Keep the metaphors coming...but it would be nice to see them representing some *real* moral substance, strength, and senatorial courage.
8
It’s good the GOP is pulling their head from the sand. I don’t think of this anymore as Trumps administration I think of the GOP among other things as working to obstruct justice, take away women’s rights, health care etc...this unusual behavior isn’t just Trump it’s the whole GOP that will have to answer for what they covered up for.
5
Given a choice between a progressive-socialist (I know, I know, that's redundant) and a pathological liar, there is only one honorable choice--don't vote! Like it or not, not voting is the most formidable way of expressing dissatisfaction with the corrupt status quo. Voting merely confirms the legitimacy of the corrupt, bankrupt state of the union.
If, in the 2016 election, you voted for Hillary Clinton, confirming the legitimacy of the electoral choice, Donald Trump is your man. You voted, your gal didn't win, you made the wrong choice between two flawed individuals. but you put your seal of approval on the process that gave the nation the Donald. Live with it, or impeach him and put Pence in his place!
Yikes! Better to have not voted and not be responsible for the state of the union with Trump (or Clinton, in my humble opinion) or Pense at the helm. Reform of the federal leviathan will never come from the political class that created and embrace the status quo wherein politicians are treated by so many dependent citizens as putative saviors. Of course if you are among the numerous folks (MICs, SJWs, etc.) who thrive on federal spending, politicians, D or R, are in fact your financial saviors. Reform can only come from citizens who have shaken off their dependence on the state.
1
@Ned Netterville Not voting is the best way to pretend like nothing's happening, until you look around at our country at your doorstep and go - oh no, how did this happen? And it will have happened because you did nothing.
I notice you’re depending on the State pretty good for electricity, the Internet, and a computer, though.
Oh wait, I know...you built all that with your own two good pioneer hands. Out of steel and silica and rare earths you mined and smelted and shaped with them own two good pioneer hands, after you figgered out how with your own good pioneer brain.
By yourself.
Hey, here’s a quote you’ll hate;
“The complete interdependence of modern life seemed to have escaped him entirely.”
—Robert A. Heinlein, “The Roads Must Roll”
3
Good.
Now we know which Republican senators need to be 'primaried' out of office.
6
The most important point is that McConnell is not interested in maintaining and protecting the US constitution and the tenets of separation of powers and checks and balances. He is more interested and concerned with the establishment of presidential precedent powers in the hands of a Democratic president whose policies differ from his and a Democratic president going around him to declare a national emergency to establish anti Republican policies such as clean and safe environmental policies, clean air, safe water, and expended medical coverages for all Americans, more deeper gun control checks to keep weapons from sick crazy people that murder innocents in domestic acts of terrorism, etc. McConnell and the extremists on the right are traitors and only interested in power.
7
seems to me that the "originalists" and "conservatives" would see Executive power grabs for what they are: a diminution of the role of Congress - and one of the prime roles of Congress is to ensure the Executive does not become a monarch.
But mcCONnell has abrogated that responsibility for years, (remember Garland?) and has instead created a cadre of conscious compromised cowards who similarly shrink from their duty to defend the Constitution in order to cover their butts in the next primary.
10
The disaster declaration is just another trumpedent, never to be repeated by any future President and rightfully condemned. Congress should treat it as such.
3
The very idea that The Con Don - or any President - can override a veto to one of his destructive ideas is simply ludicrous.
The Koch brothers and their Robber Baron government-democracy-laws-regulation hating brethren - who want to rob us blind without interference - have managed to get OUR laws and rules changed to benefit only them.
Traitor Mitch McConnell is one of their main men. Socially Conscious democratic, independent and republican lawmakers MUST remove him as "majority leader" and replace him with someone who actually loves and wants to preserve the governance of the United States of America that WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND.
26
"The very idea that ... any President - can override a veto ..."
*Congress* overrides vetoes, not the President.
See Article I, Section 7, of the US Constitution. Better yet, read the entire US Constitution. The full text is online.
1
"But Mr. Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to fulfill a campaign promise to build the wall — issued after Congress denied him the money for it — strikes many lawmakers as a direct incursion on a power granted exclusively to Congress in the Constitution: the power of the purse."
- Not to pick at nits, but that wasn't the promise. The promise was trump would build a wall and Mexico would pay.
26
If Republicans allow President Trump to circumvent Congress’s Constitutionally-mandated responsibility to manage Federal spending, they will have abandoned their sworn duty to uphold the Constitution.
Unless Republicans are ready to step up with a veto-proof majority, this is just political theater.
20
Congress has happily frittered away its powers for years. Better to let a president engage in undeclared wars and national emergency actions than for Congress to take an actual position. If they don’t take a position, then they won’t be blamed, and they can keep their seats in the next election. Nothing will happen here than an expression of faux outrage. Congress doesn’t want to actually govern anymore.
13
It’s interesting that Republicans are concerned about setting a precedent for “future Democratic Presidents” in the case that they (Dems) might use the the same overreach to tackle “gun control or climate change.” Genuine emergencies and Republicans are scared they might be tackled? Why don’t they care about these real emergencies? Why aren’t they also scared that future Republican Presidents might also abuse their power for their own self-declared emergencies? Heck, I live in Canada- maybe my country might be invaded by some future nutbar Republican President like Trump because of some made-up emergency.
21
@Maude
Dems WILL overreach to push their radical socialist agenda. Regardless of what Trump does or does not do.
It's a bogus argument.
1
A rebuke to the President? This is simply noise that shows the disconnect between institutionalists in Washington and those of us who pay the bills.
Joining with the house to pass a resolution and then not overriding the President's veto amounts to nothing being accomplished. It's spinning ones wheels for the sake of spinning and then pointing and saying, see what I did.
People outside of Washington, are actually looking for change, for something to be done that makes our world and our lives better, not more noise, not more of the same.
That our leaders aren't willing to make that happen speaks volumes about who and what they are as people.
20
Wow! Mr. trump tries to usurp the Constitution, and ONLY four Republicans stand up to oppose him?
What does that say about the patriotism of the Republican Party?
50
@Neil
Here's a tidbit you never saw in the news:
Obama had 44 unanimous losses in front of the Supreme Court. A record.
2
@Neil
The modern Republican party is filled with anti-patriots who wave flags to cover their Anti-American words and deeds. Today's Republicans would have been the Tories or Loyalists in the days of the Revolution fighting for the power and authority of the King and the aristocracy to rule as evidenced in their support of the authoritarian [Republican] Presidency and the recent tax law changes as well as support of numerous changes that devalue the common person in favor of the elite.
5
@Neil
You mean like DACA?
If the naïve American public really knew what was going on at the border they would physically help build a super wall. In a few years you will know but it will be too late to do anything about it. Think about this, if the Cartels and the Smugglers could vote in the United States elections who would they vote for ? Who would they give money too ?
2
@dhunt
Uh, they can't vote, so what's your problem? We've somehow managed to survive for a couple hundred years with our border as it is now, it could use some upgrading, but a third-century wall is a joke. A very expensive, useless joke.-
13
@dhunt Illegal substances, whether drugs or counterfeit goods, are coming into the US at legal points of entry; they aren't being backpacked in through the desert by kids with "calves the size of cantaloupes." Undocumented individuals are here, by and large, because they overstay their visas, not because they're sneaking under the barbed wire. They're also here because they've been trafficked here -- see the news articles about the Patriots owner, Robert Kraft. For whom would smugglers and cartel owners vote, if they could? The loudmouths in Congress who want to throw money at ineffective programs to pacify an older generation that still loves building projects over technology.
8
@dhunt
I'll tell you who they would vote for. Idiots building walls out in the desert with money that should go for better drug detection at legal crossing points.
11
The Baby wants a Rattle. He’s screaming for his Rattle.
The Rattle has been declared “dangerous” and even those who want to appease the Baby are concerned about the Dangerous Rattle.
The Big Baby keeps the Nation hostage. Day after day after day. The Baby won’t grow up or accept discipline. As the Majority of us are growing weary of so many tantrums for such Dangerous Rattles.
14
Big deal. Trump will veto the resolution and there will not be 2/3 in either house to overcome the veto. Obama judges will try to stop him. SCOTUS will decide. Trump will win in the end. Law is pretty clear he has the authority just as in the Travel Ban dispute.
4
@Jesse James the resolution passing is significant. Presidential power is dependent on how clearly Congress makes its intentions known. If Congress says nothing, the President has a lot of leeway. But, Congress voted to not fund the wall, then will pass resolution to disapprove. Two clear rejections. It will be a unanimous SCOTUS decision, because this is a clear violation of the separation of powers. Unrelated to emergency declaration authority, which the President clearly has.
10
@Jesse James You are wrong on all counts.
4
This small, tiny glimmer of bipartisanship should be built upon to solve this country's very real, very large issues over which there's actually a lot of consensus, if not on the solutions then at least on the existence of the problems.
12
One would think that conservatives would embrace the measure rebuking the president. Perhaps it is time the press stops referring to McConnell and his henchmen as conservatives. Clearly, they don't respect the constitution.
37
@LH Exactly. I've always said that the word 'conservative', when used to describe the right wing element in our politics in this day band age, is a blatant misnomer. These folks are radical, not conservative. Let's call it what it is and stop using a benign-sounding word to name what is really quite the opposite.
17
It only appears to be slipping bc Republican Senators know 45 can veto it.
So it offers them the appearance of not being totally behind 45 while letting his wants to become law.
8
Well, I am not sure what makes Trump want a wall other than red meat for the base. It could be that he is so crazy that he doesn't believe in reading thinking etc. But all that aside I am okay with him declaring an emergency to "build" a "wall." "Build" because he will in all likelyhood maybe build 20 miles of wall and J-Vanka will get caught stealing from the budget. "Wall" because it will be at best a fence so the Democrat can endlessly play clips of Trump promising a big beautiful wall with Mexico paying for it.
But mostly I want this to stand because if it stands the Democrats will be able to regulate guns and enact things like climate change laws by just calling an emergency.
WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND MITCH
15
@GladF7:
Your last sentence, all in caps to accentuate your beliefs, is all about democrats evening the score.
No, you defeat that argument by claiming that if Trump and his Republicans hold 0n to the Presidency and at least one house of Congress, the situation will be reversed when the Executive and both houses are held by Democrats.
No, it's not "about evening the score. It is all about which party is more likely to ensure for all of us, "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Enshrined in our Bill of Rights as our basic rights and in the rule of law as outlined in our Constitution, for all of us and not merely some of us.
2
Trump’s campaign promise was for Mexico to pay for a border wall, not for a wall paid for by American taxpayers. He has already reneged on most of his campaign promises.
24
@Finklefaye
Yes. Where are the JOBS he promised? Where is the INFRASTRUCTURE?
The wall wasn't his main promise
10
@Southvalley Fox
And the big, beautiful, inexpensive health care for everyone? Where is that?
5
@Finklefaye
So with all of the hoopala and much discussion (pro and con) the Trump irritant about building the wall is still up for discussion.
In the early days of this nonsense, he stated that Mexico would pay for the wall, What hutzpah ! Of course that never happened and now he is trying to sneak funds from the military budget,
By the way, did you catch his elongated speech the other night , before his conservative base ? It sounded more like the last gasp of a doomed man. Among other things, It looks like he is getting very worried about the effect of the Mueller report and its effect on his precious base.
Dumb and dumber.
2
I hope that any republican that votes against the national emergency is unseated at there next term . They are traitors to there constituents and what they want .
5
As always people like you forget that their constituents include the entire electorate. We are allowed to have honest differences of opinion. Every Senator needs to weigh the effect of any law on all the people in her or his state. Unlike you, I dislike bandying around incendiary words like traitorous, but what you are urging is completely contrary to the spirit of both our Constitution and our polity. I consider your militant hyper-partisanship to be a disgraceful offense against these bedrock values.
21
@Ray there there!
The trouble with electing a new replacement republican is that each one seems worse than the last. Seems to be an endless supply.
3
I would hardly call Sunday’s horrifying read about wholesale rape and sexual assault of women and children illegal immigrants at the border and now this mornings’ about their medical conditions any kind of emergency whatsoever. Every day Trump just proves even more convincingly of his insanity and unfitness for office. Go Green 2020!!!! Open the borders and government checkbook to the world!
2
Frauds, liars. No, not just the President, but the entire Republican Party. Why would anyone vote Republican. Time to go.
18
The “experts” quoted in the article overstate the significance of the vote. Without a veto proof majority, Trump will steal the money from duly designated sources and build his wall. Only a rapid Supreme Court decision can stop him.
5
" “The founding fathers feared probably above all anything else, having dealt with King George in the Revolution, that an overreaching executive was one of the greatest dangers to our democracy.”"
This was the period of "benevolent despots" -- Frederick the Great of Persia, the tsars of Russia, Maria Teresa in Austria, the Bourbons in France. In comparison to them George III was not "overreaching" at all.
2
@Charlesbalpha
Should have said Prussia, not Persia
Follow the money. What's the bet that the wall money is an I.O.U. to someone, somewhere. Fleecing the nation for personal gain is par for the course to this White House and the Republicans.
But hey! the 5.7 billion plus, 250 mile stretch of this 21st century folly will give future generations something to gape at as they stumble along via dangerously falling apart (if not fallen apart) roads, bridges, tunnels, railroads, dams... Even rivers will be unnavigable, given the level of toxicity that this administration seems bent on achieving.
14
@angel98
'What's the bet that the wall money is an I.O.U. to someone, somewhere. '
...And I wonder who is being promised the billion-dollar contract. Remember Halliburton?
3
Who else is sick of Mute McConnell's sneaky games - stacking decks; going "nuclear", stealing SC lawful confirmation hearings; padding 'resolutions of disapproval' for the sole purpose of delay; obsequious placating to the sociopath-in-chief.
He thwarts the obvious will of the people.
He thwarts the lawful execution of constitutional duties.
He thwarts dissent.
Meanwhile, as his gorgeous state lays at s at bottom of the barrel in almost all indicators of quality of life, he lives like a baron - stuffing his campaign coffers with RNC lucre - brought to him courtesy of the Russian mob and the money laundromat known as the NRA.
And we pay him ? For this ?
23
The fact that the President issued a National Disaster on the border to build a wall; the fact that there is not 100% of ‘NO’ votes from the senate only reinforces how broken our government truly is. This is no longer about partisan support for a republican president it’s about our Nation’s constitution, separation of powers and democracy. The actions and mocking of the Presidential office by Trump has gone way too far and should have been stopped a long time ago by the GOP but instead they decided to turn a blind eye.
163
@A.A.F. Funny how people advocate for separation of powers when things don't go their way and are mum under former administrations.
@Joe
Too vague and general a comment. You need to provide some specific examples of previous departures from this principle.
Then, when you do, compare those to trump's silly and ignorant (non) Emergency Declaration.
I look forward to your next post...
5
And yes it IS about republican partisanship. Their continuing party over country policies are destroying OUR democracy.
3
"... it will stand as a powerful rejection of the tactics Mr. Trump has used to fulfill his TOP campaign promise to build a wall on the southern border ..."
I really wish the media would stop referring to this wall as Trump's "top" or "signature" campaign promise... "Build a wall" was one of several three-world slogans that got cheers from his fervent supporters - and that's ALL it is. Trump's wall is built on a foundation of lies, and won't solve the primary current border issues : migrants jammed up at, and drugs smuggled through legal entry points.
Trump's most IMPORTANT campaign promises were something better and cheaper to replace Obamacare, repairing existing/building new infrastructure, moving jobs into the Rust Belt and rural America (promising to bring them back from China), paying off the national debt in 8 years, and later (after elected) promising that US households would see an average $4000/year more in paychecks after corporate tax cuts.
These promises have a REAL effect on a LOT more US citizens than his wall, yet his supporters don't care. Those people have a major problem with misplaced priorities and it's why they'll never get ahead relying on a poseur like Donald Trump.
15
Trump has a precedent for ignoring a SCOTUS judgement against him: Worcester v. Georgia (1832), wherein the Supreme Court found that Georgia had unlawfully violated US treaty obligations towards the Cherokees -- allegedly Jackson said, "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." Unfortunately, we are all Cherokees this time around, in Trump's view.
9
McConnell constantly invokes one of his political parlor tricks in an ego boosting attempt to show his mastery over political shenanigans. But to what end? It accomplishes nothing. He is a detriment to the well being of the Nation and his supposed constituents here in Kentucky.
18
This vote is a sham, not be a rebuke to Trump. Only overriding his veto would be a rebuke.
10
@Mark
This vote is a start. It's also the first sign of life we've seen from a normally acquiescent Republican Senate in two years.
Don't knock it.
8
@N. Smith
Just to be clear. It's a start that there are finally a few Republican Senators who are finally taking a stand against this president's inane emergency declaration, even if they're only doing it because they're up for reelection in 2020.
2
Let's hide and watch to see how Paul actually votes. He has pulled this before, speaking out strongly about some matter on which he supposedly disagrees with trump, then voting the party line. We'll see what he does.
9
I believe Mitch is up for re-election in 2020.
I propose some kind of organized national initiative to donate money to the campaign(s) of whomever runs against him.
If anyone has any idea how this might be accomplished, please post here.
10
@James
Good call. Mitch McConnell is up for re-election in 2020 along with 21 other Republican Senators that interestingly enough also includes Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins and Thom Tillis.
Time to connect the dots.
10
@James
I recommend The Democratic Senate Campaign Committee.
dscc.org
1
"amending the National Emergencies Act to curtail the powers available to the president and give Congress more oversight over a declaration."
While they are at it, they need to curtail the power of any branch to shut down the government, particularly when the closure is being used as a broad terroristic threat.
7
This is what the Founding Fathers had in mind when drafting a system of checks and balances in our government so that it would not resemble the Monarchy this country just freed itself from.
And this is the lesson Donald Trump has been long in learning -- Namely, that true leadership not just by by personal whim or fiat.
It is by consensus that strives to address the needs and concerns of ALL Americans, and not just the hand-picked few.
And wonder of all wonders, there are finally a few Republican Senators who are realizing this too, if only because they recognize a sinking ship when they're on one.
7
I’m actually most heartened by the possibility — apparent possibility— that Congress may be so fed up with executive overreach that it actually does something to restrain executive prerogatives; for this suggests that Congress might — just might — be ready to own the fact that it has sidelined itself, and get out on the field and “own” the job it’s supposed to do, the job we the people expect and need it to do.
13
This country elects a president, not a king.
I think Senator Schumer summed it up rather pointedly when he stated, "the founding fathers feared probably above all anything else . . . that an overreaching executive was one of the greatest dangers to our democracy.”
This country is about democracy. Both parties should never lose sight of that over their own agendas. If a real and true national emergency was at stake, it's obvious implications and ramifications would be viewed and agreed upon by both parties without the arm twisting or bullying theatrics or threatening of a president. The nature of a real national emergency would speak for itself.
15
@Marge Keller,
Nancy and Chucky are the primary Democratic fascists controlling our government. Trump didn’t win because he was loved, he won because of his promises. An overwhelming majority wants Security at the Border and beyond. You would have to be naive to think that “most of the illegals and the drugs are coming in through the Ports. That comment from Chucky and Nancy, was proof that the Democratic Party had zero intention of holding back the “Blue Wave” of future voters. When someone says that there is no proof that illegals vote, ask them how do they know? I have been voting for 55 years and after Clinton was elected, no one ever checked anything but the voter notification card you get because of “Motor voter laws”. So you know they allow illegals to vote, and Obama asked them to vote!
@Marge Keller If you live here in a border state then you would know this is a very real national security threat. Have you forgot that Obama and your democratic leaders approved a wall and budget twice the size of what Trump asked for ? Where did that money go ? Maybe part of the billions he sent to Iran and no one blinked an eye . What I think is all these politicians are stepping up now on both sides to block trump any way they can because they only want career politicians in office , they are showing to any other billion business men that it isn't worth them trying , or they will Wich hunt you , your family and friends and investigate you non stop .
@Ray
Hello Ray.
With all due respect, only my husband knows how I voted in past elections and I take exception in others taking such erroneous assumptions claiming to know how I vote.
That being said, I can and do appreciate the sentiment of someone who lives in a border state. Actually, every copper I know and/or are related to are in complete support of the border wall idea. The problem I am struggling with is more about the money and the inconsistent promises made of how it was going to be funded from jump street.
I completely agree with your assessment that many politicians "only want career politicians in office". I think the real problem is that - career politicians. If a term limit is good enough for the POTUS, then it should be for every political office in this country.
I firmly believe there are a lot of good and honest folks out there with tons of integrity who deliberately will not run for any office because of they will indeed be Witch hunted to death and every single slice of their personal life will be examined in public view. Who would want that for themselves, not to mention their family?
I think you and I have similar views on many key issues. I would simply appreciate some toning down of the rhetoric regarding my personal voting choices.
1
There are so many real national emergencies that should be addressed now which are more dangerous to America's welfare than a wall on the southern border. Why does Trump continue to go down this path when the majority of real Americans are more concerned about other problems like Health Care costs, gun control, crumbling infrastructure?
14
@RLWreally drugs and murder and kids being kidnapped and forced into sex trafficing is not considered a national emergency ? Well I live in Texas and anyone who thinks it is not obviously are blind to facts . Maybe for those who it doesn't impact directly think it is not a national emergency, but for those of us here on the border we know it is .
1
@RLW First of all, he did try to do something with the health care issue and his own party abandoned him. Secondly, the border issue is an obvious emergency as it is tied to the drug issues plaguing this country. People are overdosing left and right and a good portion of the drugs they are abusing is coming across the southern border. A wall will not completely stop the inflow of drugs but what it will do is free up more agents to track and eliminate the drug traffic. The Border Patrol has to pay so much attention to areas that are unprotected because the wall is sub-standard or even non-existent in places. The Dems say that drugs are coming through the legal points of entry so wouldn't it make sense to shore up the illegal points so they can divert some of the manpower that was previously being used to patrol these points? It's like a leaky dam. Tons of small leaks that need attention constantly while the large leak continues to flow. Fix the small leaks all along the dam and you can focus your manpower on plugging the big leak.
@RLW I would agree with you wholeheartedly except you said, "... a majority of real Americans .... ." No modifier needed, all polls show that it is a majority of Americans, period, that is more concerned about the other problems you mentioned.
Did you mean that some Americans are not "real Americans"? Then you are taking on the outlook of the administration, which is a wrong outlook, about "real Americans."
6
I dont get it. The people want the wall but the GOP that works for us doesnt want it. I think 7 out of 10 want it built so what gives them the right to go against the peoples wishes. Congress should be dissolved and start over with people that dont have special interest. Stop donations from big business
1
@Wayne French
I see the disconnect. You think that 70% of people support building a border wall when it's only 45%. That number drops further down to about 30% when you add the emergency declaration.
I hope that clears some things up for you!
12
@Wayne French
Please cite the source of your statistic. I can’t find 7 out of 10 anywhere.
7
@Wayne French Except you are wrong. Polls show a majority do not want the wall. More importantly, a majority do not want a president to usurp the constitution and take over funding decisions from the congress.
11
Many recognize that McConnell does not practice democracy nor does he honor the Constitution. Like Dick Cheney, he creeps around in the shadows yet wields great power.
So, where is the investigative journalism on him? We keep asking whose "orders" he's following, and I have my own suspicions. But this man needs determined journalists to cast a spotlight on him, just as much as the president has needed.
Where's the story? Where's the money? Where are the loyalties? To say that McConnell is "party first" and "country last" is merely a statement of the obvious. We need more; we need to know the causes of such skullduggery.
20
@JD
The NYTimes Magazine did a devastating article on him last month.
3
@Charlesbalpha Good! I missed it--thanks for the info.
@Charlesbalpha I just read it. Nowhere does it say where he gets his money, etc. It's good, but mostly it's an in-depth description of his activities and statements, not of his behind the scenes motivations.
Both parties have ceded their authority to their party leader to ride the popular wave rather than put their own political future at risk. They aren’t leading, they are collecting a check.
1
Sen. Rand Paul is an odd fellow. He's a Republican dove, but usually also a strident Trump apologist, especially for Trump's Putin interactions. But, in this case, he has taken the moral high ground, i.e. not being a hypocrite.
He noted that he opposed Obama's (supposed) executive overreach, and, to be consistent, is now opposing Trump's (actual) overreach. Kudos for Paul for displaying a soul. I wish I could say that about most of his colleagues.
4
@Eric Thompson All this means is that Putin has no position on this wall. If Putin wanted it, Paul would be all over it. He is owned.
The Senate will get 51 to block but not the 67 to override Trump’s inevitably veto unfortunately.
3
@Alan Not unless some of those Reps man up when the veto occurs.
It is a little like a small child figuring out how to separate themselves from their parent. The Dems need to find a new "John McCann" and encourage him or her to talk more sense into the Reps.
2
Is it merely that most Republicans in Congress are a craven, self-serving bunch, or is there a whole lot of dirt on them being used as leverage?
1
This is no emergency and is a blatant power grab.
Trump's entire concept for a wall is built on LIES. From first saying people coming from Mexico are "killers, rapists, and drug dealers" (with no stats to back it up, then deporting working and taxpaying dishwashers, landscapers, and meat packers) to later saying US government statistics about border crossings and drug smuggling are wrong and his "gut instinct" is right.
This is just one more example of how this president is incapable of processing facts, and makes decisions based on delusions or what gets cheers from his supporters. Impeachment isn't necessary. Trump's mental state makes him unable to execute the duties of the President of the United States, and he should be removed using Section 4 of the 25th Amendment.
12
@chris87654 you are wrong I live in Texas and it is a national emergency of course if you don't live here you don't here of the murders and the kid napping of kids that are forced into sex trafficking or the drug bust of massive loads if drugs . Also if it wasn't so important why did Obama approve of a wall and more border security ? Lol
@Ray
I want to see government stats on trafficking. I know MANY women have been killed in Cuidad Juarez (been in news for decades), and have heard of a few illegals killers in US ("the railroad killer" was one long ago), but most trafficking victims I read about are from Asia. At this point, NOTHING from Trump or his supporters can be believed until it's confirmed by reliable independent sources.
Ex: Trump saying 1/4 of fed prisoners are illegals (is true)... about half of those are immigration violations (overstaying work visa, etc - NOT "killers, rapists, and drug dealers"), so that means 1/8 of fed prisoners are bad guys, which means illegals are 1/8 as likely as US citizens to commit federal crimes.
Is it possible that gutless Republican senators are finally going to come out of the closet to defy an over-reaching Trump and his/their "base"? Are they really, after two years, finally going to defend the Constitution?
6
@RLW no. This is political posturing. They will engineer a pass by 1 vote, and let Trump override it. they can then pretend they took action while leaving it for the courts to decide.
3
@RLW
The theory I've heard is that they don't want Trump's "emergency" to set a precedent that a future Democratic president could cite for, say, a "gun proliferation emergency". Of course Trump is too stupid to understand things like precedents.
2
@RLW when will the Democrats ? They sure didn't when Obama gave billions to Iran with out there approval .
Until congress overrides the veto, this is nothing but play acting. Reclaim your power and stop being a lap dog.
4
@Bruce1253
Agree with you. This is not "standing up" but rather that awkward half-crouch as one gets up from the comfy chair of preference and habit.
I feel comfortable believing that had Fox News existed at the time, Richard Nixon would probably not have resigned. Perhaps, it's more accurate to say that I feel 'uncomfortable' believing that...
14
@Paul
Interesting point of departure for a novel. Here is hoping it remains fiction and not (some 45 years later and a new lot miserable of characters) reality.
i find it disconcerting that members of congress are standing up for their responsibility of being a check on the other branches of government only because of what a potential Democrat might do. This should not be about what party is in office, it should be about doing your job.
10
It's too late, Mitch.
Trump has now opened the door to what the next Democratic president can do beginning (hopefully) in 2020.
First of all, bring on the emergency declaration for heavier gun regulations and much stricter background checks, requires mental health checks for ALL gun owners, and prohibits the ownership, buying and selling of high-powered guns.
Bring on the emergency declaration for strict clean air and pollution standards and a rollback of the Trumpian relaxing of EPA standards that have protected our beautiful lands and spacious skies for years. If prohibiting the mining of dirty coal puts those coal miners out of business, re-train them for another line of work.
Bring on the emergency declaration that roll backs Trumpian allowances on public lands by commercial development with no oil drilling, no strip mining, and no retail development.
Bring on the emergency declaration that abolishes outrageous Trumpian overseas tariffs that hurt American industry.
A Democratic Congress can do its part, too. Severely restrict the "emergency declaration" powers of the president without approval of a majority of the House and Senate... enforce the emoluments clause... require divestiture for presidents... invoke a anti-nepotism clause for any elected president, and prohibit the president from ever speaking about interest rates and the Federal Reserve.
I'd like to prohibit the presidential use of Twitter, but we'd have to re-work the First Amendment for that.
23
@Southern Bred & Black
"A Democratic Congress can do its part, too. "
Also require the president to make a public apology whenever he utters an obscene insult about another nation.
Once again Mitch McConnell only cares about the President, not what is right for the American people. Now let us see how many delaying tactics are used and who is responsible. And one wonders what is happening with the suits by States against the forced legislation or shall I say the blatant rejection and ignoring of the people's will on this matter. As the numbers dwindle further with the involvement of the Mexican government as well, which had this President been a more convincing and amiable person might have happened without all the fanfare, tweets and nastiness. But then after he said "America first" that signalled a lack of co-operation all around. II know China takes this same tack but they get away with it as with everything they do so far, however that is because they have not been a world player since perhaps before international diplomacy became engrained.
2
The true test for Republicans will be if they over-ride the trumps veto.
Without that, this vote is not a rebuke; it's simply a weak attempt to appear that they are finally reigning in trump.
5
Both chambers in Congress vote to overturn this-- the Senate does by the skin of is teeth with a meager four or five Republicans voting to overturn it-- Trump vetoes this (why is that such a big deal or surprise?) And then it won't get a 2/3 majority in the House in order to override the veto. So Trump gets what he wants.
How on earth does anyone come away from this thinking that Trump is losing Republican support? Because a small handful voted to overturn this? The end result is that he gets what he wants and will prance around like this is some big victory. Then military families learn that there won't be housing for them because the generals told Trump that the money they have set aside isn't for anything that's very important so Trump will snatch it away.
7
Whem you identify Senator McConnell perhaps you should say “majority leader and husband of a Trump cabinet member”.
16
This isn't about Trump, or the political parties, or popularity of various elected officials -- it is about the constitution and laws of the nation. Madison and his fellows never envisioned an America ruled by the will of a single individual as that would be a monarchy, not a democratic republic.
To be sure from the first congress to today congress has rarely shown itself willing to put aside partisanship in favor of the constitution and laws. Hence we have the acceptance of Executive Orders as a means of "getting things done." It started with Washington and has expanded since.
The real question is: Do We the People want an all powerful dictator to whom we all report, or do we want an executive and legislature that answers to us?
McConnell's reference to Trump's popularity shifts the focus and implies that the POTUS doesn't answer to the people as long as he is popular. (Shades of "Leviathan")
We, living today, may well be witness to the end of our Democratic Republic and the birth of the first American monarchy that will pass down the Trumpian genetic line and make our experiment a total failure.
That the RNC is willing to make this about presidential popularity and not about constitutional principles says a lot, none of it good.
9
@George N. Wells
Madison never visualized powerful political parties. He thought the main conflicts would be between branches of the government (as was true in England at the time) and worked out his checks/balances system based on that. He didn't anticipate a party in the legislature covering for the executive.
@Charlesbalpha, et al.,
Correct. Who could have envisioned America so willing to empower a would-be dictatorship and overthrowing the constitution all to serve the ego needs of the elected executive?
We cannot even be sure of the SCOTUS declaring the order unconstitutional in this highly political environment.
Fortunately I'm at the end of my years and have no children. That so many of my fellow Americans are willing to hand over the nation is appalling. What a sad end to a once-great nation.
The national emergency act was primarily to give the president the ability to respond to situations well beyond the ordinary, basically an extraordinary situation, which threatens the health or safety of citizens and which cannot be properly addressed in timely fashion by congress & the use of other law.
It clearly was not written with an intent that a president could manufacture a crisis and bypass congress to achieve a political promise.
The 28 earlier national emergencies declared by prior presidents since 1976 when the law was passed, were mostly invoked to freeze foreign nationals' assets, prohibit various transactions and the spread of certain weapons.
https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/NEA%20Declarations.pdf
The longest-standing decree dates to 1979, when President Jimmy Carter froze Iran's U.S.-held assets.
Sane members of the House and Senate should vote for the resolution overturning tump's blatant and bogus declaration. It clearly is a dictator like power grab, a violation of the intent of the law and the constitution.
Then vote to send him to a guillotine with a paper blade. Even a fake one will cause the bone spurs to grow a foot long. He should feel some pain for all the pain he's causing our nation.
2
Why do Republican hate America ?
10
@Ray Maine why do democrats want to destroy America ? See we don't hate America we love it and I am sure democrats don't want to destroy America we just bith have different opinions. Maybe we as people should work together to find a common ground in our beliefs and nit just make dumb comments like that , if we where to unite as a people then both parties would have to listen to us and not just do what they want .
Is this now how what used to be the greatest nation on earth spends its time.
Months and months, and millions of dollars wasted dealing with cheap political stunts "the wall" and endless distractions from a vulgar and corrupt president Trump.
All while bigotry rains, EPA is gutted and the country's infrastructure continues to crumble.
Pathetic and shameful times my fellow Americans- vote!
13
Is this an indication that the republican party can rescue itself from the aging clutch of Mitch "I know how to hold a grudge" and "party over country" McConnell ...
4
@Steve of Albany
McConnell's big excuse was that it was pointless to pass a bill that the President would veto. Apparently McConnell, like his master, has never read the Constitution, or at least the section about "over-riding vetos"
Mitch McConnell and the Senate need to understand that they serve the American taxpayers and not Don Trump. Since McConnell and most of the Senate members are lawyer, they understand that the Constitution and the rule of law issues take precedence in proper governance, not one’s loyalty to Trump. The Senate’s Constitutional mandate is the proper protection of taxpayers, not Coying to the political of Don Trump.
2
I am hoping that now that it seems clear that there is a majority in the Senate, it will provide political cover for the others and open the floodgates of others voting similarly - no one wanted to be the deciding vote.
It seems like this is all a game for the Republicans - they don't care about creating policies that will make lives better - all they care about is "winning." And as a result the rest of us are losing.
8
Trump already knows he will lose this big time in SCOTUS, and just before the 2020 election at that. And THAT he does not want. Count on it, he will not veto this. Which is too bad because he deserves to be strongly rejected on this by SCOTUS. Nevertheless, my hope is that he does veto it and it goes to SCOTUS because this will be a wonderful civics lesson for a country that no longer teaches civics in its schools or, apparently, even remembers that such a subject exists. And as a result of his veto and subsequent rejection by SCOTUS, both the Constitution and the country will be better off.
2
Any president only has authority and power when they act within the law and right at this moment in time Trump is on the very edge of that.
His perceived emergency has existed since our country set it's borders and immigration policies in place. There have been and always will be people coming into this country that are requesting asylum or work and have not gone through the proper channels, but that does not make them an emergency.
He needs to understand that he works for us and not the other way around.
7
I believe Mr. Trump is correct in that there is an emergency threatening your country. However, I believe he has his geography wrong. From my perspective sitting in Europe, it is located in Washington DC, not on the Mexican border, more specifically at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
I doubt a wall can solve it, but it would help if more than the current four republicans grew a spine. It is, as the saying goes, hard to stand up straight without it.
25
"Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, conceded on Monday that he could not stave off final passage of a resolution overturning President Trump’s national emergency declaration."
And why should he? He doesn't work for Trump. He works for the United States of America. Clearly, a majority of senators believe Trump has overstepped his authority under the Constitution. It's long past time someone started holding this unlettered bully accountable.
Step aside, Mitch. You'll go down in history as one of America's Quislings.
22
When are Republicans going to stop using the Constitution as a prop and do the right thing just because it's the right thing to do?
Rand Paul and his fake libertarian principles is the worst offender. He pretends he was elected to uphold theory instead of represent his constituents and actually do something of value for the people of this country.
Rand, it's okay to be against the Wall as simply a waste of money to fulfill a fake campaign promise. That's why you're in the Senate.
9
History will not ask why McConnell did not himself support this resolution. It will only point to his support for this resolution as proof positive of McConnell's only true belief. Given that even supposed critics of Trump among the Republican caucus (Jeff Flake? Bob Corker?) ran, cowardly, when faced with opportunities for courage, is article this even news?
2
How does a Senator from a state that ranks 47th in median income become a multi-millionaire just by humbly serving his state? He's dirty. Follow the money.
23
"McConnell, the majority leader, conceded on Monday that he could not stave off final passage of a resolution overturning President Trump’s national emergency "
What a pathetic example of a senate "leader" who seems happy to violate the constitution and undermine the basic separation of powers that protect our nation.
Once again McConnell proves he's a bought and paid for political hack, blowing with the wind and ready to accept any level of damage to our democracy to met whatever short term, self interested goal he wants.
14
The wall is a campaign slogan that would do nothing but look ugly, get in wildlife's path to the water and not stop the flow of immigrants and drugs. Where as climate change and guns are truly our nation's problems. I dream of a Democratic president.
177
@Patsy If Democrats and independents don't get out on vote in the states that matter (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Illinois, and maybe Kansas and Arizona), we are doomed to four more years of Trump imperial tyranny.
5
@Patsy
Yes! And it needs to become clear that “a promise” - if you do not have control over gaining it - is nothing but empty words.
Trump thinks if he “promises” something, then he has a “right” to it.
If I make a promise, then it has to be something I can “do” - not something I expect someone else to do!
7
@Patsy...In your dream of a Democratic president, does she tear down the Pelosi's Immoral Wall on the California border? Or, is it grandmothered in as a testament to the wisdom of Blue idiocy? How does your dreamy Democratic Prez deal with illegal drugs - give out more clean needles?
qq - why does the president have the power to veto this? in this particular instance it seems like a violation of checks and balances. I understand the emergency response powers are more technical law than constitutional principle, but this does seem to violate Congressional check on the president in regards to the appropriation of spending.
3
It seems to me that Trump will not take this vote as a rebuke, but instead will see it as a chance to show his contempt for Congress. He'll brag about going against them. Far from being let down, he and his base will be invigorated. They see themselves as righteous and Congress as weak. This veto will be perceived by the base as exactly what they elected Trump to do--thumb his nose at the powers that be and strut his stuff. Show them who's the big man. Prove that he can rule without Congress and he doesn't need it at all. Trump will find his chance to veto empowering. He'll be crowing about it for a long, long time.
12
@Ms. Pea
All too true, and to the courts we will go...another waste of governmental time, energy and resources courtesy of Mr. Trump.
3
@Ms. Pea . . I agree. And lately, no matter how Patriotic his base insists they are, I think what they'd really like is a King some one to cheer, revere and worship.
1
More dredging the sewer after Mr. Mueller failed to deliver more than muck.Good way to lose an election ,2020.
1
@Alan Einstoss The long list of indictments and guilty verdicts from the Mueller investigation which has not ended yet is more than just "muck". Russia clearly assisted the Trump campaign and helped him get elected. Falling back on the idea that you can not prove what Trump himself knew, and when he knew it does not remove the odor that the Trump camp accepted the help of a hostile foreign power. True Americans would have gone to the FBI instead of taking a meeting with Russian agents that promised them "dirt on Clinton, and continued help". They certainly would not have responded by saying "I love it!".
2
Republicans in congress will be privately delighted that congress is rejecting the emergency, but at the same time they can pretend that they are supporting Trump. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
125
@MaccaUS Trump will veto this, and the house does not have the votes to override it, this is all for show, it means nothing, the Dems know it, the Repubs know it, but hey, let's waste time. Kind of like Nadler and his committee, it will be 18 months of a political attack ad, winding up with a couple of people lying along the way, and going to jail for process crimes, just like Mueller, but it won't work out for the Dems, Trump will still be a candidate in 2020 no matter how much they try to beat up on him. Everybody already knew who he was and he was voted President. All a show my friends, all a show.
1
3 out of 53 GOP Senators doesn't seem like much of a rebuke.
9
@Aaron
Rand Paul is the fourth, but in other article said there are likely 10 Republicans who oppose, which is halfway to a 2/3 Senate majority needed to override a presidential veto. But it'd need 2/3 in the House too.
So far, it looks like the President has no options, no matter what. he goes to great lengths to prove a point and show's the need! Congress just ignores the issue (like for 35 years on immigration) and stops him. So if he can not protect us from the onslaught of drugs coming in and killing 200 people a day, then what can he do as president to protect us. Congress does nothing, on and on and on! We have a flood of people in this country that has driven health care thru the ceiling, where does it stop! President Trump is the only one working for the people. Congress is working for big business that is why they are all millionaires now! Investigate them and see what crimes they have committed like they are investigating Pres. Trump looking for a crime. So sick of watching this circus everyday, this has brought this country to place of total despair!
1
@Sharon
You are loved and people care about you. Stop watching the "circus" and spend some time tending your garden or doing something of value locally. You will feel better.
3
@Sharon. . . Did you feel this strongly about our last president working for climate change which affects more than just our country, but the world?
6
@Sharon If Trump actually cared about drugs coming into the country he would not be looking to strip over 2B in funding from the agencies whose job it is to stop illegal drugs from being smuggled into the country. 95% of all illegal drugs come through legal ports of entry, a wall will do little to nothing to stop illegal drugs. Cutting the budgets of laws enforcement will only make the problem worse. The days of people walking drugs across the border ended decades ago.
3
If the Republican majority has more allegiance to a President of their own party than to the Constitution they have sworn to defend and the Congressional institution to which they were elected, then our democracy will not survive our partisanship. It's clear that the president has no thought or appreciation for the limitations of power designed by the founders. Thus all rights are marginalized by the spinelessness of "strict constructionists". What a hypocritical travesty.
25
A political move by McConnell to delay the vote until just before March 15? Really helping to underscore the “emergency” we have here, Senator. The least you could do if you actually think the situation is so dire is to act like it. But it’s so clearly a political move for the base that even you can’t fake urgency, despite your undying fealty.
418
@Donna Arbogast Excellent point. The National Emergencies Act requires the Senate to vote on the measure within 18 days of the House acting on it, which occurred on February 26, so March 14 is the 16th day, and since the Senate will not be in session on the 17th and 18th days, the very last day the Senate can act is March 14. Additional evidence for the courts to conclude that precisely no one believes this is truly an emergency.
44
@Donna Arbogast
Maybe he likes the idea of it being on the Ides of March....
19
I think it helps his wife has a well paid cabinet post. Smart move by Trump.
10
This is all just theater. The GOP never had any intention to build Trump's wall, or they would have passed legislation to do so when they controlled both Houses. Now, they think they can ingratiate themselves to Trump's base voters while blaming their failure on Democrats. GOP cynicism is bottomless.
524
@SAF93...The GOP did NOT control both houses. Most bills in the Senate require 60 votes to pass - thanks for the nuclear option on judicial appointments, Harry. Can't you guys ever get it right?
@Albert Edmud A while back the Democrats offered $25 billion for the wall if the Republicans agreed to immigration reform. They said no.
3
Still not enough yet for the republicans in both house to realize they serve the people not the president. I trust the people in Kentucky know it is time for McConnell to go.
15
@Wade The citizens of Kentucky have a chance to have a conscience in 2020.
1
I agree!
The saddest thing about this whole debacle is that it will put our dirty laundry on display to the whole world, the fact that a large (majority, I suspect) number of Republicans in Congress are indifferent to the Constitution. They really don’t believe in this country and the worthiness of this experiment in democracy.
Ironic for me personally is having to say thank you to Rand Paul. He, like his father, of the libertarian fringe, in this case has done the right thing and said so explicitly and clearly. Thank you.
8
@wmferree How do you figure, if the President can not protect the people, what is his purpose. We are loosing 200 people a day to drugs, 900 abortions everyday, subscription drugs cost some people their whole months wages, do to the fact we have let 44 million people into this country who have driven healthcare out of reach for legal citizens. Schools can not support education because of the influx of illegals. There is no end to this, its an emergency, its also called rule of law! He is right National Emergency is the only thing left for us to get something done! Congress is doing nothing except making themselves richer!
@Sharon 44 million people? From where did you pull that figure?
4
The book of Arthur Schlesinger Jr, The Imperial Presidency, is in fact an history of the Presidency slowly and carefully (not always) concentrated more and more powers inside the White House. The first seven chapters cover the period from the constitutional convention of 1787, the Presidency of George Washington to the Presidency of Lyndon Bayne Johnson. Richard Nixon is cover in chapter 8. Schlesinger when he wrote about the "imperial presidency" not only referenced to the action of Nixon but also to Lincoln during the Civil War, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR and the New Deal and LBJ and the Vietnam War to give a few exemples.
3
So, even with the Republican defections, north of 90% of senators from the President’s party will vote to cede their constitutional powers of appropriation to the Executive? And for a purpose that virtually none of them even suggest is of real world consequence? Simply one more, albeit substantial, step on our way from democracy to dictatorship.
16
I'm not buying this "it's a serious rebuke of the president" thing. A SERIOUS rebuke would be passing the resolution with veto-proof majorities in both houses.
Unfortunately, spines are in short supply in the GOP caucuses, so this is just another case of much ado about nothing.
20
I hate it when the media says that Trump is trying to fulfill his "campaign promise to build a wall". The first part of the campaign promise was to build a wall, but the promise also included the phrase "and Mexico will pay for it". That second part of the promise is just as important. I don't know that many of Trump voters would have said "OK" to a wall, if they had known that the American taxpayer would pay for it.
16
@knewman
I think we all know he himself never expected to win. He just relished being a pest, free (sort of) publicity, building up his brand, etc.
Now he's stuck, so what does he have to lose?
2
I wonder if Trump’s base understand they will indeed be paying for it. Look how well they understood the ACA - many didn’t realize Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act were the same program.
2
shouldn't the question be, do we have a constitution or not, and if those in the house or senate, democrats or republicans, who were elected by the US voters don't want to follow it as they should, then why did they raise there hands and take an oath. either your for the rule of law all the time or your not, there can't be, maybe I am today, but tomorrow, maybe not. the bottom line should be ever who is in the White House doesn't matter (party). we have 3 branches of government for a reason, so we don't have a single person with all the power. unless some Americans think Putin and Kim Jong have a good thing going in there countries, if you do, say good bye to your freedoms.
1
Dr. Paul reminds me of my dermatologist, a guy with maybe 12 undergraduate credits outside of biology, and an expert on virtually every subject.
3
I just love how GOP senators will try to find way not offend the maggot Trump. Alexander from TN wants to to take money from Drug Enforcement, yes Drug Enforcement, to build a wall when 90% of all drugs come thru points on entry. Another old white man that needs serious replacement. He’s a joke. Drug, used mainly by whites, are a much bigger problem that immigrants, who end up working the jobs the white population refuses to do, like clean Trump’s toilets at his golf courses!
16
Let it pass.
Then our New Democratic president can claim emergencies on healthcare and guns. Then we can "tear down that wall!"
9
With all due respect to Ms. Stolberg and Ms. Cochrane, four Republican senators voting against a declaration that if made by a democrat would have sent the entire Republican Congress into a mouth-frothing frenzy is hardly a sign that Trump may be losing his grip on his own party. Quite the opposite, It shows just how powerful that grip is.
16
Not sufficient to rebuke.
4
Rand Paul loves to be in the news. I won't hold my breath. We have seen this before. He is against something then the president invites him to the White House. Then when he leaves he agrees with the president. He has a record of equivocation. He knows if he goes along with Trump he will be seen as the big hypocrite he is after attacking President Obama for what he saw as similar deeds.
9
@Wayne
I don't think McConnell made the statement unless he knows it's not merely Paul but there are more than a few GOP senators who are not going to vote in support of the national emergency. McConnell is in damage control mode and of course posturing for the Fox News audience.
Cohen warned all these old men, and it will be McConnell who leads them right over the cliff.
2
McConnell's fear is that a Democratic president could use the same tactic. Only a Democratic president? Because the next Republican president would be honest, law abiding and respectful of Congress? Once the horse is out of the barn, the colors of the horse are meaningless.
22
@AV
All this waiting and speculation fills the void of excitement and anticipation that once was the domain of the Oscars and historical epics about dying empires: which state will be the first to elect a horse to the Senate and what color will it be?
The national exhaustion with just Trump alone, much less this challenge he is making to disregard constitutional law, makes this endless nightmare continue.
Be prepared that if Congress prevails on this debacle, we can awake to Trump’s next challenge to our Constitution and our unique American way of life.
8
If it wasn't so tragic, it would be laughable.
So since the demagogue Trump will probably have to use his veto to get the wall money, it won't be too difficult getting it from the app. 750 billion dollar bloated pentagon budget.
He could take 250 billion from it and build the wall and improve our security in the world by drastically lowering our defense budget.
250 billion will probably be the cost for the wall after cost overruns.
3
Trump is only interrested in Trump; not the GOP; not the USA - only Trump. Why, oh why, would anyone believe that he cares about the precedent his actions would create? He has made clear that he hasn't, doesn't and will not care about anything in the future. He certainly does not ever think about the impact of his actions.
14
Shame on McConnell. He should be defending Congress' constitutional purpose, not helping trump to subvert it.
36
My God Why doesn't McConnell just claim to make his own emergency declaration and not allow Democrats to vote in the Senate or the House.
Why does he think the law was written to require a vote?
6
The article repeatedly says trump is trying to fulfill his campaign promise of, "...building a wall on the southern border..." That's only half of the promise. The rest of that promise is, "...and Mexico will pay for it."
It's stunning what trump supporters will give him a pass for.
43
A larger problem I see with Republicans voting against trump is that these seats are more likely to swing Democratic when voters turn them out of office in their next election.
Hopefully some will vote for those leaders who vote their conscience and do the right thing instead of always voting along party lines
6
It's time for the Senate Republicans to stand for and with the Constitution and it's separation of of powers. They swore an oath to it, not to Donald Trump. To vote with Trump is to vote for autocracy and should disqualify them from the office they have betrayed.
39
You know that if it were legal, McConnell wouldn’t bring it to a vote.
He is under the impression that his job is to protect trump.
17
This so-called “serious rebuke” to Trump isn’t serious at all. It’s more like a minor complaint. Neither is it an example of the President’s “riding roughshod over the rule of law.” It’s simply politics—like everything else in our nation’s capital. Trump’s position will prevail in the political battle because his veto will not be overridden. The “rule of law” part of this will then be left to the federal courts, which is as it should be. In other words, this is politics as usual. Same as it ever was.
3
“Same as it ever was”. No truer world have ever been written.
1
Every Republican honoring the oath of office should vote to block Trump’s “emergency” skirting the Constitution’s separation of powers, which, at 245-182, was hardly the case in the House vote where only 13 Republicans defied the party. Voters should tag those who voted against for removal, because they voted against democracy’s safeguards and government accountability to instead strengthen the quasi-plutocracy controlling America now.
The real test on GOP adherence to the Constitution will come if and when Trump vetoes.
20
Does matter who is President, the National Emergencies Act is flawed and been increasingly abused by Presidents. In Trump's case the abuse is much more as he has not just bypassed Congress but defied Congress and I guess you could say is in contempt of Congress and the US Constitution in both spirit and practice. It seems a bit pointless to argue with an ego like Trump that an emergency is something like Pearl Harbor, or 9/11 or Hurricane Katrina, not the southern border of the US. Congress has been too quick to surrender it's obligations and rights to an imperial presidency over the years. Congress in the name of freedom and democracy needs to reclaim it's role and should start with this flawed and open for abuse National Emergencies Act. If not, after the unneeded vanity wall, what else will Trump deem an emergency and adopt rule by decree for?
23
Can Sen Collins come up with a more wishy washy reason for voting for the bill? I’m certainly surprised that she isn’t voting against it because she has received verbal reassurance that all her concerns will be addressed.
23
@Thomas G
Exactly. Here in Maine we are patiently waiting for her "ironclad promise" to fix the ACA. Not.
1
Any Republican Senator who supports the overreach of Mr. Trump in his attempt to build a wall, only to fulfill a campaign promise, endorses the future overreach of a Democratic President. Who would have thought that the unconstitutional actions of a rogue president would actually be able to solve the problem of gun violence in the US? Mr. Trump sets a precedent by declaring his national emergency that can take guns away from their owners. All the gun owners who support the GOP Senators should realize what their representatives are doing. Before the Trump era in the GOP, who would have thought the Republicans would be the instrument to remove certain constitutional guarantees to its citizens? I can hear the slogan now, "Enjoy your wall and hand in your guns." If the separation of powers among the branches of government can be altered from the intent of the framers of the Constitution, the right to bear arms is a minor change to be made by a future president.
8
@Cyril
Exactly!!! The writers of the constitution knew what they were doing. They created checks on a willful president. For the senate to erode those checks is suicide,
2
McConnell should be leading the charge to pass a veto-proof bill. But no, he continues to try to find ways of doing Trump's bidding. Along with Trump, he and the majority of Republicans have become unfit for office as they shirk their duty to uphold the Constitution.
33
@ Kathryn- I was beginning to think I was the only one who noticed weaselly Mitch, not trying to do good things, but to see if he could cram some other language in there to make them have to vote for it. He is such a piece of work. It will be a glorious day when he gets out of office.
3
Maybe more executive power would be better, especially with a proven multi billionaire businessman in office (versus say a community organizer).
After all, China has sustained 30 years of high economic growth, a record in modern history, with executive dictate overseeing capitalism. According to Western polls, Chinese leadership has fairly high approval ratings of over 70%.
In contrast, is Congress breaking 20%?
1
All we need is a proven multi billionaire president to test your theory
24
@Jay Lincoln: Really, a "proven multi billionaire businessman"?
11
@Thomas G - Fred Trump was worth $300M when he died and had several children who inherited. Donald Trump is worth several billion.
Liberals like to pretend other peoples’ money grow on trees, which is why they feel so free to tax it.
1
Mr. McConnell would do well to take his concerns about future use, and possible abuse, of presidential privileges to heart in this way: his clear desire to construct a congress that is permanently dominated by one party, and his use of his position in our Senate.
8
All this means is the GOP is willing to beat theConstitution to death with baseball bat but not actually set it on fire. Are we supposed to be grateful they’ve only done a generation or two’s worth of damage and not blown up the country?
25
What’s the big deal? Trump could care less as to any “rebuke”. The “emergency” declaration is his “good faith” effort to fulfill his Build The Wall pledge. Absent an ability to plaster TRUMP logo across the wall he loses nothing. Rule of law skirting? What’s new?
The real mystery is why Mitch couldn’t block bringing this to a vote given his tremendous creativity in obstruction. I will become a financial contributor in 2020 in blocking his re-election. He is despicable. Graham is not far behind. The real puzzle is where are the spines of the other 47 GOP senators?
51
Wake me up when both houses override Trump's veto. Until that happens, this is all political theater and little more.
16
The solution to this crisis has been staring us in the face, but we haven't seen it.
We just declare that a big, beautiful wall has already been built, and Mexico paid for it. It has already reduced illegal immigration and crime.
What's the problem with that? That it's not true? But nothing Trump says is true, so what does it matter?
Somebody just needs to tell Trump the wall has been built, and that he's been awarded the Nobel Prize for it. He can't tell the difference between truth and fiction anyway.
67
@Richard Waugaman Bravo, Richard. Well written.
9
@ Richard Waugaman- he will notice: he needs the $1M prize that’s awarded. It has probably been spent already.
4
@Richard Waugaman
SNL, listen up. This is your next opening sketch.
1
An easier solution would simply have Republicans override the veto. I suppose that's asking too much though. Wasting time in the courts gives Trump a softer landing upon defeat. McConnell is defending Trump by stalling for time. So far, most GOP Senators are willing to follow his lead. I wonder how many will live to regret that decision. Despite Trump's base, Rand Paul is actually playing shrewd politics. I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of this conversation. Let's see if anyone else is smart enough to break ranks.
6
It's not a "rebuke of Trump." It's a defense of our constitution. The separation of powers, like free and fair elections, is an essential, foundational principal that must be defended in order for our nation to survive.
Our democracy is a fragile thing. We've only been around for 243 years. Governments fail all the time. The Roman Empire failed after 500 years. We have no guarantees of future success. We need to work for it, to fight for it.
Voting to uphold the separation of powers is defending our system of government. Trump is just one president. When he's gone, if our leaders have the courage, our nation will still be strong.
47
@Paul
But our republican ‘leaders’ don’t have the hint of a spine or any kind of love of country, they will eventually go along with the Cult leader in the destruction of our freedom and our country, party and power over country and freedom!
5
The fact that McConnel is exploring if he can amend the resolution to work around the law, protect trump and give the GOP cover just shows what sort of person he is. He never had or does he have the best interest of America in mind. He puts himself and then party first always.
811
Indeed. It is a patently false narrative that he is an institutionalist.
51
@Thomas Renner
“Work around...” the Constitution and the will of the American people. This is clearly malfeasance, if not worse.
I urge the Times and others to discover who's will McConnell is serving. Who is his puppet master? Clearly it’s not Trump, a marionette himself with a few missing strings.
64
@Thomas Renner He should be under investigation as is Trump. He's committing many of the same issues POTUS is.
58
Geez, couldn't someone find a way to tell Mitch McConnell that he is the leader of an independent branch of the government, and that he owes his allegiance to the people, not the Trump corporation?
Hugh Massengill, Eugene Oregon
70
@Hugh Massengill
The way to do that is to vote him out of office.
20
Trump has tried to marginalize all branches of government including the Judiciary and his own Executive Branch.For him there is only one agenda that matters and that is his, whether or not it is legal or even constitutional.It is about time the Senate votes to preserve their integrity as a governing body.They could set a precedent that presidents can put their budget requests ahead of those of Congress .This is not Constitutional-McConnell should stop equivocating and support the Constitution and not pander to Trump”s dark instincts to reorder all of our Constitutional guarantees.
11
I applaud Sen. Rand Paul and the others who are voting in the interest of the country and not the Party. If the Senate follows through it will be a good sign for Democracy. But you have to know that Trump is salivating at the chance to veto and prove to his base that he is doing his best to deliver the wall but Congress is in his way.
I hate to say this but it appears that Trump’s supporters would like a king as long as that king is a Republican.
24
Trump doesn’t care about the wall. He cares about the show.
He can’t lose, whatever the outcome.
13
Preferring a little freedom from the suffocating restrictive ways of Mitch McConnell if the Senate Republicans have decided to support the House initiated border emergency overturning resolution it will only help revive the most crucial function of the Congress, that is, an effective oversight of the executive powers which remained dormant for the last two years due to the meek submission of the Congress to Trump and his minions in the Congress. Thus the emergency blocking move together with the obstruction/corruption probes by the House, and of course the Special counsel investigation will certainly lead to a reinforcement of the democratic checks the absence of which had made President Trump a real sign of executive waywardness and a live symbol of corruption.
10
Shame on the other 49 Senators who ignore the separation of powers and, do not defend the functions of their own branch of government. If Trump could, he would be happy to dissolve Congress or at least, make laws optional.
I hope that the submissive behavior of these lawmakers to Trump does not contaminate the country beyond a reversal. This is not about immigration anymore. It is about the preservation of our democratic institutions.
450
They haven’t voted yet. Hopefully more will join.
14
@Andrew
We need enough to grow a spine so they can overturn a veto.
Not holding my breath on that.
20
The vote on this should be 100%. Any Representative or Senator should be voting to support their Constitutional responsibilities. If not, they shouldn't be serving in our representative government as they believe in authoritarian executive power and the abdication of their power and responsibility.
This should not be a referendum on "the wall" but a confirmation of the Constitutional separation of power in the branches of government. A veto by Trump will show (as if any more proof is needed) where he stands on the Constitution.
713
@Marie The closest trump ever got to the Constitution was probably stepping (or standing) on it.
17
@Marie
Judging by their performance and behavior they do not want any Constitutional responsibilities. They have been giving it away for decades. It's the power the position comes with that they can use to serve themselves that they crave. To some of them (the Republicans in particular), the USA is merely a giant resource for their taking, much as the land, resources and people were seen by the early colonists. Not much has changed at that level. Witness federal land (the people's land) being exploited, and sold off, to the benefit of a few.
16
@Marie...Y'all love to haul out the US Constitution. Except, of course, when topics like the Electoral College, Wyoming's TWO Senators, and several of the Amendments are on the table. Then, the Constitution is a medieval relic composed by old white paternalistic oligarchs that needs to be totally revised, if not completely eliminated. Where do y'all stand on the Constitution, Marie?
What is the point if the president can over-ride.......why vote at all?
2
Nothing but impeachment is needed. It is some thing Trump can't veto. The man is insane.
18
I'm having trouble deciding who is more despicable, Trump or McConnell. The former is sick and I'm not fully convinced there is a sentient being there. On the other hand, I think McConnell is sentient and because of his willingness to subvert democracy and the constitution I sometimes lean on the side that he is worse.
98
Mr Trump doesn’t care because he won’t allow another president to be elected. Not on his watch.
3
How many senators other than Tand Paul care enough about their integrity and their soul to declare I will not be a total hypocrite and allow Trump to do something I wouldn’t allow Obama to do (or vice versa for the Dems). Say Mitch, care to hazard a guess? Maybe start with yourself and work from there.
5
@Duckdodger, Paul is not all that lofty, just sees an opportunity
5
Congress was out on recess during Christmas and New Year’s. It’s now going out on recess on March 15. When does congress even work? And yet it wants to control the purse strings as apparently stated in the constitution! And where was Trump! Working, as usual, working for us during his Golden retirement years that he has abandoned to work for us and serve the people. Rand Paul and those three other Republicans are ridiculous.
3
To use your phrasing, Trump has “apparently” golfed 25% of his days in office.
18
And watched tv 4-8 hours per day while in office.
13
@Labete
He does a lot of expensive travel to golf resorts where he spends a lot of time. Tax payers pick up the travel and security costs.
13
For McConnell, aider and abettor of all things Trump, this is about the 2020 election. Other than Trump's base, the majority of Americans do not support a declaration of an emergency to build a wall. Most rational human beings know there is no actual emergency at the border.
If the Supreme Court does not see this as executive overreach, we are in deeper trouble than I imagined. It would be the height of irony if Trump's two appointees voted against him and I might just do a dance in the streets.
Congress has the power of the purse. Period. There is a reason Trump is the only president since 1976 to misuse the law in this manner. He will appease his base my any means possible and it provides a distraction from the myriad investigations of his administration and of the Trump organization that are swirling around him. Most of us will not be distracted. He may not be indicted while in office, but for once in his life, Trump may actually be held accountable for his actions. I am counting on the southern district of NY to do what they do best.
The only emergency at the border is the question of the whereabouts of thousands of children who were separated from their parents. Now there are allegations of sexual assault while the children were in the government's care.
Trump leaves a mess in his wake wherever he goes and we are left to clean it up. That is the emergency.
558
@Patricia Caiozzo
"Other than Trump's base, the majority of Americans do not support a declaration of an emergency to build a wall."
The question is whether our Nation's course should be steered by media, opinion polls, surveys or the elective process and our Constitution. Underlying the purpose of the founder's work is the concept of joint efforts of and for "we the people".
10
@Patricia Caiozzo, yes good description, and I keep thinking about how does a guy just keep this up with all that’s coming most people would resign, I have seen studies of sociopaths in prison, zero empathy of course, but also lack of fear and great self confidence. I am obviously not a medical professional but those traits were present.
30
@Patricia Caiozzo
If Obama had pulled this to build a wall from his campaign he would have been crucified on the national mall. Republicans do not have brains that have two sides. Just one side that works in only one way...ME, ME, ME.
If the 538 members of the U.S. Congress meekly surrender their constitutionally mandated ‘power of the purse’ to executive claims of ‘national emergency ’ or ‘Executive orders’ they would be setting a precedent for ‘executive tyranny’ over government. The president proposes, the legislature disposes.
16
Mitch McConnell appears to have a constituency of one. He serves Trump and no one else.
18
@Stevem He serves only himself. He is way more powerful than Trump.
1
“It simply sends a message that Congress is going to stand up for its institutional prerogatives and abide by the separation-of-powers framework that was carefully worked out by the framers in the Constitution,” Ms. Collins said on Monday. “I truly don’t see this as sending a message at all one way or the other about border security but rather about executive overreach.”
Another Republican faux response. You send a message about executive overreach by sending the bill to the president's desk by a veto-proof majority. Whether in the House or the Senate, the Republicans have again placed party over country, allowing a "racist, con man, and cheat" (according to Michael Cohen) to prevail.
The Republicans fail on all counts, both in moral and constitutional leadership and responsibility.
15
Monarch Mitch McConnell and his Russian-Republican caucus do their oligarchic best to maintain their czar's unConstitutional powers on their Soviet satellite republic.
Party First: Country Never
Grand Old Power 2019
Remember in 2020
31
What is the problem? Did we loose sight of all the shenanigans?
The Republicans are planning to 'save face' for Trump! They have no sense of governing for the people. Trump knows its a bad idea and he is counting votes.
The 'Fox' is in the henhouse with the 'chickens'.
20
@s.whether
Do the people want an open border?
Have you heard Reagan’s final speech on immigration?
1
@Sports Medicine no one wants open borders. That’s a myth that Trump & Fix keep pushing.
4
Mitch McConnell tried to get Trump to back off of his position for the benefit of "future generations." What has Trump ever done for the benefit of others? Trump only causes collateral success or collateral damage for others. He literally never does anything for others. Eventually the supporters of every authoritarian leader end up feeling the leader's indifference to their well-being. How could McConnell think it would be otherwise. Welcome to our world, Mitch.
29
The fact that Congress is “highly unlikely” to override the presidential veto of this resolution is stunning.
A bipartisan Congress has already considered Trump’s appropriation request for the border wall he so desperately wants for those far-fighters in his base and specifically limited the amount they were willing to give hm. If they do not override his veto of the joint resolution condemning his end run around that vote—an end run under the guise of an “emergency” declaration everybody knows is a lie—they will effectively give it their stamp of approval. They will effectively tell this president it is okay for him to lie in order to subvert their appropriation decisions, even to lie to subvert those decisions for blatantly political ends. And they will thus effectively give him a blank check to spend the people’s money whenever and for whatever purpose he wants so long as he slaps an “emergency” label on it.
Who would have ever dreamed that ANY member of Congress—much less one in the GOP, the party that has historically screamed from the rafters at the merest hint of executive overreach—would silently look the other way while the president swallowed up so much of their constitutional power?
76
@Steel Magnolia
You are correct. Democracy dies from expediency.
9
@Steel Magnolia No, that is not quite correct. They denied him funds yes, but he is not allocating any new money, he is moving already appropriated money. Which me MAY be able to do under the emergency act that CONGRESS passed. Not giving funds to do something does not expressly prohibit a president from doing something.
Now, I agree this is an abuse of power, but it only exists because Congress passed a poorly written Emergency Act without enough safeguards. What should be on the table right now is not a challenge to this specific act but a rewrite of the general law itself to prevent this kind of thing in the future.
And yes, we have hypocrites on the right but we also have them on the left, folks who did NOT complain about DACA or EPA overreaches because they happened to like the end policy. Folks who are clamoring "wait until we get a Dem president in place and use this for x, y, z!" Hypocrites one and all, both sides, many on each side.
Look to guys like Rand Paul who have been consistently against this type of abuse from both Obama and Trump.
"...while a veto is highly unlikely to be overturned, the congressional majority that forces it will stand as a powerful rejection of the tactics Mr. Trump has used..."
Hogwash! Without the veto override, that "powerful rejection" will be but a 'tepid protest' having no more effect than whispers passed in a tweet storm.
33
This may be law, but something is not right. Why does Trump get “two bites of the apple” when the Congress only gets one? He created this mess by issuing a national emergency executive order. The House voted, (the Senate will vote), and then Trump gets to register his approval again? So if a President started a war by executive order, and Congress voted against it (but not with a two-thirds majority), the POTUS can do anything and get away with it.
The founding fathers created a King......
22
Congress will get a second bite, it just likely won't be a big enough bite. Once the president vetoes, Congress has the opportunity to pass the resolution again with a two-thirds majority which would override the veto. But so far there aren't enough GOP congressmen with a backbone to achieve that majority. Once that vote is in, if it fails to override the veto, it will be up to the courts hearing the lawsuits to decide if the president had the authority to do what he's done.
13
@Lonnie K. Stevans Congress could override the veto...or the Supreme Court could overturn the President. It is called separation of powers. What is the same for every president is not an undue advantage for any...
2
@Lonnie K. Stevans
Another way to look at is, past Presidents and Congress created this mess by allowing the border to remain wide open, and allowing loop holes in our immigration law that dictate children don’t get deported, so that means family units don’t either.
The 60,000 arrested at the border every month is now mostly family units. If they make it into US soil, even though they are arrested, as long as they have kids with them, they are in.
Trump could just ignore this.
Or perhaps you should ask yourself why Democrats are fighting this tooth and nail?
Compassion?
"...it will stand as a powerful rejection of the tactics Mr. Trump has used to fulfill his top campaign promise to build a wall on the southern border —" and have Mexico pay for it. He isn't fulfilling his campaign promise until he has Mexico pay for it. The Democratic nominee should never stop pounding him with that. He never will fulfill the campaign promise to have Mexico pay for it.
53
Does anyone really believe this makes a different to president Oblivious?
He only cares about winning and can not think more than 1 sound bite/photo op ahead
28
Too Little too late. History will remember this lot of Republicans as promoters, enables, and beneficiaries of autocracy and deep corruption.
55
Over the past two years Republican members of Congress have time and time again shown themselves to be a spineless bunch of sycophants groveling at the feet of a president who admires the likes of Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin.
However, it is nothing short of amazing that in a vote that goes to the very foundation of the Senate's constitutional duty of budget oversight of the Executive, finding enough lawmakers with the spines to honor their oath of office to the Constitution is like pulling teeth.
Hard to fathom what's become of our democracy in the past two years. The world is watching, and unfortunately, laughing.
110
Even more unfortunately, it’s not just the last two years. It began when MCConnell announced the Senate’s goal was to make Obama a one-term President and then did everything in his power to foil anything that Obama tried to do to make America greater.
68
@JHM
I don't think they are laughing. I think they are worried.
The U.S.A. has been a bulwark against tyranny for over two hundred years. But not now.
28
what recourse do citizens represented by Mon approving senators have? is there an impeachment process?
Send letters and emails and call their offices to tell them of your disapproval. Let them know you won’t vote for them next time. Ask friends, relatives, and acquaintances to do the same.
And then keep your word the next time they’re up for election.
17
As suggested by several early commenters, this piece says more about McConnell than the naked sophistry of Trump. His behavior at least since the early years of the Obama administration have been dedicated to thwarting the democratic (small d) majority. Derailing the Obama's constitutional prerogative for a SC appointment to underpinning voter suppression, the litany is a long one. He has relentlessly undercut the rule of law and participatory democracy through "superficially legal manipulation of the legislative process. His efforts to stall the House resolution outlined here: but one more but minor example. In the final reckoning he may have done more damage to the nation than Trump. Trump's motivation are blatantly obvious. One wonders who McConnell serves but we know it's not the Constitution or the majority of Americans.
281
Perfectly stated
20
Do not be deceived by Susan Collins voting against Trump's emergency resolution. She is safe because they do not at present have a veto-proof majority so the resolution will pass....she really gets to have her cake and eat it too; I am a moderate who voted for something against the president that will never happen....see how great I am.
26
Less than half an hour later, Mr. McConnell acknowledged at a news conference in Kentucky that he had “argued, obviously without success, that the president not take this route” because of concerns about setting a precedent future Democratic presidents could take advantage of.
This is a faulty argument at best. The Rebublicans accept this power grab by a president of their own party now, but they are concerned that sometime in the future, a president of a different party may use the same procedure.
34
@E. Keller And they should be, for the sake of their own body (Congress). This is a dangerous precedent of presidential (imperial) overreach.
8
The issue facing the Republican majority in the Senate is whether their role is as the "loyal opposition" or as the foil to majority of people's representatives. Now is the time to join together and address the issues facing our nation. It will be interesting to see who puts partisan politics ahead of the Peoples's mandate for change.
3
@Carey
Quite true.
The “People” want open borders.
There must be a poll someplace proving it.
1
@Sports Medicine But who believes the polls any more? Certainly not me!
1
@MicheleP Pools are one tool that can inform our legislators of the current views of their constituents, however we do not , or should I say should not, steer the course of the Nation via surveys or opinion polls-that is the function of the elective process.
3
Mr. McConnell acknowledged…that he had argued, obviously without success...”
Of course it was without success…Trump's "stable genius" never could compute consequences and his ego won't allow him to acknowledge there will even be a "time after Trump."
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It seems ludicrous to me that the president has to sign this resolution overturning his declaration of a national emergency over border wall funding after it has passed both houses of Congress. We all know he will veto it; and recent history shows that overriding vetoes is becoming increasingly unlikely. In the last 30 years the last 4 presidents before Donald Trump vetoed a total of 89 bills, and only 8 of those vetoes were overridden. The president has too much power under the American system as it stands today. Two-thirds majorities are proving too difficult for modern congresses to achieve. The Constitution should be amended to allow both houses of Congress to override a president's veto with a 60% "supermajority" rather than a two-thirds majority.
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Any senator not voting for Speaker Pelosi‘s resolution has no right to occupy a seat in the US Congress. Trump has again demonstrated anti-constitutional intent. He must be stopped by any legal means.
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@Barry64 There is debate on whether what Trump is doing is legal or not. Remember, he is not appropriating new funds, he is simply moving funds around.
I am sure there are GOP senators that support the policy and are only voting on that, let the courts decide. And I am sure there are Dem senators that support such presidential actions but don't like this particular policy.
All kinds of talk about what a Democratic President would use as a national emergency then.
No, the bigger, more prevalent question is what next national emergency is Donald Trump going to concoct when he gets away with this border national emergency?
This man is an inept roller coaster who has lost it with no one stopping him. The president will veto this present piece even with this latest attempt to pull him back, and he will just keep barging on.
Checks and balances? Show me. Show the millions of sane United States citizens who are scared.
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The GOP is writing themselves into history in cohoots with the most corrupt president since Nixon, possibly most corrupt ever.
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Yes, but we as a country have to get that far to be a to write History. It doesn't look promising.
4
Nixon was a choir boy compared with Trump and his crime family.
10
A shameful president and a shameful mcconnell even now still trying to find a way to overrule the legitimacy of Congress.
How did America come to this?
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@RB by not voting
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@Richard Bradley
Greed.
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@Richard Bradley They are colonists at heart. They see the US as their colony, merely an asset with which to enrich and serve themselves.
3
A first infinitesimal dent into Trump's undemocratic dictatorship. Slowly slowly. Baby steps. Steady as it goes.
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Both Trump and McConnell need to be shown the door.
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@T3D
Better the plank than the door.
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And Minister Pence, T3D. That would put Speaker Pelosi in charge and she could really clean things up in a hurry.
I'm waiting for some powerful people in OUR political/legal/military/secret service complexes to SET A NEW PRECEDENT, put them under Citizen's Arrest, and hold them for prosecution.
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After the Cohen testimony and that flag hugging performance and rambling speech Trump made at CPAC last week, it amazes me that republicans continue to stand by him. These people don't deserve to sleep at night.
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@scott k.
Yes, indeed, and you'd think any sane person would agree. Yet, did you catch his reception at CPAC? They absolutely lapped it up -- loved, loved, loved it. And recent polls that have shown an uptick for Trump's approval rating? He now stands at about the same place as Obama did at a similar point in his first term. And his approval rate among Republicans is something like 95%. All of those signs point towards the usual outcome in these situations, which is his re-election. Anyone whose goal is to get Trump the heck out of office in 2020 had better pay attention to this.
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@scott k.
Yes, we know Trump has lost all credibility and is probably suffering from beginning stages of Alzheimers, how do you explain his followers? Certainly they can see the obvious signs of Trump becoming unhinged.
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@Rob Fortunately, the Repubs are only perhaps 1/3 of the electorate. If all the Dems and all the Independents show up at the polls, we still have a chance to save our country. I am TRULY, TRULY afraid of what will happen to us, if he wins another term in office.
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Trump loves ugly wins that flaunt his dictatorial style. Recall how he demanded an unseemly Fox News appearance and a combative partisan rant by Brett Kavanaugh. None of that made confirmation easier, but it demonstrated to his base that he completely owned McConnell and that he was working toward making the SCOTUS a rubber stamp by appointing loyalists (AKA "originalists"). This so-called "rebuke" by so-called Republicans is just another opportunity for Trump. He will simply veto, which his base will love, and has the collateral effect of identifying Senators unworthy of reelection by the base. The proper authority and mechanism for dealing with this current Trump overreach lies with Congress, which can pass a veto-proof measure if it really feels it has been violated. I strongly suspect the SCOTUS will pass on this case. The court would essentially be asked to stand up for Congress against Congress' own will. If the court abstains, many will feel that Trump's takeover of the SCOTUS will have been achieved, and Trump will gladly (if not overtly) revel in that perceived ownership. This entire debacle is drama; Trump loves and capitalizes on drama.
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McConnell always seems to put party before country. His chief concern is not the violation of constitutional norms. It's to prevent a Democrat in the White House from using emergency powers for what he doesn't like.
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The challenge in having the courts resolve this is that the Constitution already provides a mechanism to address the situation: Congress's veto override.
The current Court may choose not to wade into this dispute between the "political branches" at all.
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Both the Court and the Congress were provided Constitutional powers to “check” the other two branches of government.
Yes, Congress is the First among the three (having been created by Article I; the Presidency by Art. II, and the Court’s by Article III). This was intentional by the Framers. They are co-equal branches of government, but The Founders intended this to be a democratic government run by the people’s representatives, the Congress.
The problem isn’t Congress not having the power to check the Prez, the problem is a Congress filled with spineless Representatives and Senators who are more protective of their next election than their country and our Constitution. We have names for them: Cowards and Traitors.
So a National turns its lonely eyes to the Article III courts as the only viable route and hopes that logic, law, integrity, and loyalty to the Constitution compels the judges/justices to uphold American ideals.
“Originalists” on the Supreme Court, indeed. This issue couldn’t be more representative of the Founders’ original intent: no Imperial King.
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At some point, we'll reach that "Have you no shame?" moment. Republicans better wise up. Trump and his fetid presidency will be a dreadful footnote.
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@Thomas
Yes, once and for all strengthening the border is both shameful and dreadful. It isn’t “who we are”. Is that right?
We should all side with Democrats to keep it wide open.
1
I'll finally believe his grip is slipping if and when the Senate actually overrides his veto; only then.
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I guarantee McConnell will orchestrate this to be a veto proof vote, no matter how long it takes him, in order to avoid humiliating Donald too much.
The American carnage that Donald spoke of in his inaugural address was not yet a reality, but it was a prophesy. We are living it, each and every day. This era simply cannot end soon enough.
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McConnell endeavors to persuade the president to no avail. McConnell tries to find an end-game around the rejection of the president's declaration. Where exactly, as the Senate leader, does McConnell really stand on the issue? The Congressional power of the purse or the usurping declaration of the president? He is spineless.
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"strikes many lawmakers as a direct incursion on a power granted exclusively to Congress in the Constitution: the power of the purse"
Didn't Courts did find President Obama did the same with the Carrier subsidies having spent un-approporiated dollars.
1
I don't think that Trump really cares about the emergency declaration one way or the other. He just wants it to appear as though he did something after he accepted less than his 5 billion funding for the wall. Got to "save face with the base" at any cost.
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Believe it ONLY when you see it (especially from Collins).
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@Quincy Mass
Oh, she'll vote for it. That way when she loses the next election she can blame it on something other than her subservience to the "GOP" party line. And let's not forget Kavanaugh.
10
@Quincy Mass, She sees the writing on the wall. After the Kavanaugh disaster, I gave money to ACTBLUE in support of whatever candidate runs against here in 2020. She realizes she is toast and will work hard during her remaining time in office to try and modify her image!
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We live in interesting times. This is, quite literally, history in the making, but many of the principals involved don't seem to quite realize its significance. Certainly not the (nominal) chief executive. It's thrilling because we're seeing once again, that Madison and Hamilton were men who wore wigs and wrote with feathers, but also men who laid down basic bedrock principles, which have kept the nation steadily on track, time and time before, and--in our age of silk ties and tweets--are still well on track to do so time and time again. To quote the old curse, We Live In Interesting Times. But for all of us, let's make it not a curse, but a blessing.
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@Beppe Sabatini Agreed. People seem to forget that there was another time when a president tried to short circuit the process by packing the Supreme Court. FDR was weary that his new deal provisions got repeatedly thrown out on constitutional grounds by the SC. SO he proposed adding a new justice for each over the age of 70 that did not retire, thus increasing the size of the SC from 9 to a max of 14.
Congress rebelled and the legislation was held up in committee.
Separation of powers.
3
Finally the beginning of a GOP spine? Right so. First, it’s clearly overreach. Second, everyone knows there is NO “emergency.” The toddler president has stamped his foot and tested his limits. The adult response should be to overturn this presidential veto. This is why we have a Constitution.
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@Lb. there are 54 vertebrae in the GOP, unkinking K2 one time on March 5th, 2019 is not the start of a strong Republican spine. It’s minor Physiotherapy at best that shows America the degree of scoliosis it is suffering from all the other vertebrae.
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When a veto proof majority votes against Trump then Trumps grip is slipping in my opinion. Conservatives have never been known as paragons of critical thinking / independent thought my fellow citizens.
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Abandon ship abandon ship, all is lost! Not. The imperial grand orange wizard still rules, alas.
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I'm not holding my breath for anything that this current group of republican law makers is expected to do...
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I think the house should all vote it down again if Trump uses his veto power. It will really show the check and balance of power in US constitution and politics.
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“...setting up a rebuke to Mr. Trump amid signs that the president’s grip even on his own party in Congress may be slipping.”
That statement is wishful thinking. No way more than a handful of Congressional Republicans will ever abandon their Caudillo.
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The grip that is slipping is not trump's grip on the party it's his grip on sanity. I saw a few minutes of his speech on Colbert and his fondling and caressing of the flag (Colbert used a bawdier description) was mind bogglingly demented. I was horrified!
3