According to a new New York Times report, GOP leaders are panicking behind the scenes and trying to keep several top Republicans from voting with Democrats to block Trump’s ’emergency’ wall funding.
“Republican leaders scrambled to keep rank-and-file members in line ahead of a House vote on Tuesday to kill President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency on the Mexican border, as Democrats appealed to Republicans to protect Congress’s constitutional power to control federal spending,” the Times wrote Monday.
Several high ranking Republican Senators such as Susan Collins (R-ME) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) have signaled that they may break with Trump and Mitch McConnell to vote their conscience instead of allowing a presidential power grab usurping Congress’ traditional power of the purse.
Other high-profile Republicans are on the fence, torn between their love of Trump and their love for the Constitution.
Lamar Alexander (R-TN) called Trump’s declaration “unnecessary, unwise and inconsistent with the Constitution,” per the Times. But he “declined to say how he would vote on a resolution ending it” so far, the paper reports.
The Times goes on to say that top Republican leaders in the House and Senate are working furiously behind the scenes to save Trump from potential embarrassment.
“Top Republicans, including Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, the minority leader, said they were confident that there will be enough support to prevent the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto,” the Times said.
Read the full report here.
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