If President Trump were to declare a border emergency and use the Pentagon to build his border wall, Congress wouldn’t be able to muster the votes to block him, the top House Republican said Friday.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s comments could stiffen spines at the White House, where Mr. Trump is pondering whether to use emergency powers to construct more border fencing, if he doesn’t win funding from Congress.
If the president did use emergency powers Congress could attempt to overturn it, by voting for a resolution of disapproval. That would require majority votes in either chamber — but Mr. Trump would then likely veto it, and Congress would then have to muster two-thirds of each chamber to override the veto and prevail.
Mr. McCarthy said that won’t happen.
“I don’t see any way that would get overridden,” the congressman told reporters.
Mr. Trump is asking Congress for $5.7 billion to build some 230 miles of new or replacement border wall. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said she won’t allow any money at all.
Faced with that obstacle, the administration has investigated and concluded it could go around Congress and reprogram Defense Department money to go to border construction.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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