The US House of Representatives is resisting the national emergency declared by US President Donald Trump on the border with Mexico. A majority in the House of Deputies, which is currently controlled by the opposition Democrats, voted last night (local time) for a resolution that would end the state of emergency.
The congressional chamber voted 245 to 182 votes for the resolution on Tuesday. Also 13 deputies from Trumps Republicans voted for the text.
Senate now on the train
But this is only a first step. Whether the resolution will succeed in the end is unclear. She now goes to the second chamber of the US Congress: the Senate, in which Trump’s Republican majority. Although Trump’s Republicans have the majority there, the resolution could also pass through this congressional chamber.
Even if both chambers passed the resolution, Trump would have to agree to it. But he has already announced that he will veto it. And to overrule this veto, a two-thirds majority would be required in both chambers. This should not come together as things stand.
16 states complain
Trump had declared a national emergency on February 15, in order to finance his desired wall on the border with Mexico without parliamentary approval. Congress had denied the republican president the sum of $ 5.7 billion he wanted. Last week, Democrats in the House of Representatives tabled the resolution to end the emergency. They argue,
Trump eliminates the separation of powers.
The president had justified the border emergency with an alleged invasion of migrants, criminal gangs and drug smuggling. 16 states have filed a class action lawsuit against the state of emergency.
Trump wants to divert the billion dollars now bypassing the Parliament from existing budget items. For this approach, he was also criticized in their own ranks. The construction of the Wall is one of Trump’s most important election promises.
