Senate has votes to block national emergency

WASHINGTON—An effort to block President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration for the situation at the U.S. border with Mexico looks likely to succeed in the Senate, with Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky becoming the latest Republican to say he will vote with Democrats. The resolution nullifying the national emergency sailed through the Democratic-majority House last week. The GOP-controlled Senate must consider it within two weeks, with the measure needing only a simple majority to pass.

In a column posted by Fox News Sunday night, Paul said he supports better border security but not the president’s unilateral action: “I think he’s wrong, not on policy, but in seeking to expand the powers of the presidency beyond their constitutional limits.”

The president declared a national emergency on Feb. 15 to fulfill his campaign promise to construct a border wall. The emergency would allow Trump to access about $3.5 billion to add to funds already appropriated by Congress and pulled from other sources for border security.

Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Thom Tillis of North Carolina also have said they will vote to terminate the national emergency. Paul’s decision means Trump likely will use the first veto of his presidency, but neither chamber is likely to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to overturn it. In the House, 55 Republicans would have to vote with Democrats against the president to reach the necessary 290 votes, and 14 would be required to get to 67 votes in the Senate.

Some Republicans have lobbied for Trump to withdraw his emergency declaration. Retiring Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee in a floor speech last week called for the president to reverse course and “avoid this dangerous precedent.” So far, Trump has shown no signs of backing down.