Twelve Republican senators broke party ranks to join Democrats in a vote to revoke President Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency on the US-Mexico border. The Senate approved the resolution by 59 votes to 41, in a significant rebuke to the president on his signature domestic issue.
The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives had already passed a similar measure last month. However, Congress would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override a presidential veto, which is viewed as unlikely. The vote nevertheless represents an embarrassing loss for Mr Trump, who slammed it on Twitter as a 'Democrat inspired Resolution which would OPEN BORDERS while increasing Crime, Drugs and Trafficking in our Country'.
The rebellion came a day after the Senate also defied the president on foreign policy by approving a bill to end US support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen. The 12 Republican rebels included prominent figures such as Mitt Romney of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Susan Collins of Maine. Thom Tillis of North Carolina changed his mind minutes before the vote and opposed the resolution.
Mr Trump declared the emergency on 15 February after Congress refused to fund a wall on the US-Mexico border, a key campaign promise. The declaration seeks to bypass Congress by diverting military funds, potentially freeing up nearly $8bn – far short of the estimated $23bn cost of a border barrier, but more than the $1.4bn Congress had allotted.
Many Republicans supported the wall policy but viewed the use of emergency powers as an overreach, both because it bypasses Congress's constitutional power of the purse and because it could set a dangerous precedent. Some feared that a future Democratic president could use similar powers on issues like gun control or climate change. The ultimate decision on the legality of the emergency declaration is expected to rest with the Supreme Court.
