Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich., on Friday emerged as the only House Republican to support Democratic-led efforts to block President Trump’s border emergency.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, introduced a joint resolution Friday that would overturn Trump’s national emergency declaration, which he is using to divert resources away from the Department of Defense and toward his southern border wall project. Amash was the only GOP lawmaker to tack his name to the measure, along with 226 House Democrats.
A spokesperson for Amash didn’t elaborate on whether the libertarian lawmaker, who frequently breaks with his party and the president, expected other members of his caucus to join him in voting for the resolution when it is brought to the House floor on Tuesday. The representative, however, reiterated Amash’s argument that the situation at the border didn’t constitute an emergency.
“A national emergency declaration for a non-emergency is void,” Amash tweeted last week. “A prerequisite for declaring an emergency is that the situation requires immediate action and Congress does not have an opportunity to act. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump is attempting to circumvent our constitutional system.”
[Opinion: Why Trump’s border wall national emergency is constitutional]
A national emergency declaration for a non-emergency is void. A prerequisite for declaring an emergency is that the situation requires immediate action and Congress does not have an opportunity to act. @POTUS @realDonaldTrump is attempting to circumvent our constitutional system.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 15, 2019
House Republicans on Friday shrugged off the attempt by their Democratic counterparts to thwart Trump’s plan to fulfill his 2016 campaign promise of a U.S.-Mexico border wall. One House GOP leadership aide told the Washington Examiner they didn’t anticipate Democrats will have the votes to override a presidential veto if the resolution passes both the House and Senate.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., on Friday slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., “and her liberal lieutenants” for refusing to back Trump’s push for building border impediments.
“Speaker Pelosi’s resolution blocking the national emergency declaration is another example of her refusal to secure our border, and would leave Americans less safe,” Scalise said via a statement.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., told reporters last week he supported Trump’s declaration, and said he doubted his caucus would follow Democrats in opposing the president.
The Senate has 15 days to take up the resolution if the House clears it on Tuesday.
