Opposing Senators Likely to Achieve Sufficient Votes Against Emergency Declaration at the Mexico Border

According to reports from the United States, the Senate is likely to achieve enough votes to oppose the emergency declaration at the Mexico border for funding the wall's construction. Rand Paul, a Republican senator from Kentucky, stated on March 2, "I cannot give the President the authority to spend money that has not been approved by Congress." Senator Paul added, "We may need more money for border security, but Congress has not authorized it. Violating the principle of separation of powers would be dangerous." Considering the number of opposing votes in the Senate, if Rand Paul, a fellow party member of Donald Trump, ultimately does not change his decision and votes 'no' on the emergency declaration, he would be the fourth Republican senator to join the opponents; as a result, the Senate would block the emergency declaration. Trump has stated that he will declare an emergency to secure funding for the border wall. The House of Representatives has passed a resolution against the emergency declaration for the wall's construction. However, if the resolution against the emergency declaration, which has been approved by the House, also passes the Senate, it must still be sent to the White House for the President's signature. Donald Trump has previously stated that he would veto this resolution. In that case, Congress would need a two-thirds majority to override the veto, and it seems unlikely that the two legislative bodies, the House and the Senate, would achieve this two-thirds majority. Trump has repeatedly emphasized that building the wall at the U.S.-Mexico border is essential for security, preventing human trafficking, drug smuggling, and other crimes. Opponents of this plan are calling for lower costs and exploring alternative options for protecting and securing the southern border. On the other hand, a group of legal experts in the United States believes that declaring an emergency for building the wall could be an action in contradiction to Congress's inherent duties to fund the government and could also be an unprecedented action. On March 7, the House of Representatives voted 245 in favor and 182 against a resolution aimed at overturning the President's emergency declaration for building the wall at the southern border. The majority in the House is Democratic, while the Senate majority is Republican. Thirteen Republican representatives in the House voted in favor of the Democrats' resolution. The emergency declaration by Trump would lead to the diversion of $3.6 billion from military construction for building additional barriers and fences at the Mexico border. Donald Trump has requested a total of $5.7 billion for the border wall, but Democrats in Congress opposed this funding. In the budget plan for federal government funding, which was approved by Congress in late February, approximately $1.4 billion was allocated for additional border fencing, and about $1.7 billion was allocated for other needs and priorities of the Department of Homeland Security, including new technologies and increasing border patrol agents.