Trump Uses His First Veto Over Border Wall Funding

President Trump on Friday vetoed a congressional attempt to keep him from obtaining funding for a wall at the Mexico border. The "reckless" resolution would endanger Americans, he said at the Oval Office ceremony, reports the Hill. "Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution, and I have the duty to veto it." It's the first veto of his presidency. Twelve Republican senators had voted with Democrats to oppose Trump's declaration of a national emergency, which would let him spend billions to build a wall without the approval of Congress. But the Washington Post reports opponents don't have enough votes to override Trump's veto. Most of the GOP 12 oppose the method, saying an emergency declaration violates the Constitution's separation of powers, more than they oppose a border wall.

Regardless of the count in the Senate, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House—which is controlled by Democrats—will vote March 26 on overriding the veto, per CNN. The emergency declaration is “clearly authorized under the law," Attorney General Bill Barr said at the veto ceremony. The ACLU immediately countered that the veto is irrelevant, the AP reports. The organization has sued to block the emergency declaration, and says the issue ultimately will be decided by the courts. (Trump's budget includes $8.6 billion for a wall and bigger deficits.)