House Democrats Introduce Resolution to Block Trump's National Emergency Declaration

Here we go:

House Democrats on Friday introduced a resolution to block the national emergency declaration that [Donald] Trump issued to fund his long-sought wall along the U.S-Mexico border.

The move sets up a fight that could result in Trump's first veto. It starts the clock on a constitutional clash between Trump and Democrats and sets up a vote by the full House as soon as next week.

The Democratic-controlled House is sure to pass the measure, and the GOP-run Senate may adopt it as well despite Trump's opposition.

Any Trump veto would likely be sustained, but the upcoming battle will test Republican support for Trump's move, which even some of his allies view as a stretch — and a slap at lawmakers' control over the power of the federal purse.

...House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has promised that her chamber will "move swiftly" to pass the measure, predicting in a letter to colleagues that "the resolution will be referred to the Senate and then sent to the President's desk."

...Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, is the resolution's sponsor and has already garnered support from a majority of the Democratic-controlled House as co-sponsors.

Castro's measure says Trump's emergency declaration "is hereby terminated."

It is very unlikely there's a 2/3 majority who will agree to override Trump's inevitable veto, even if the resolution passes both the House and Senate, but, like Rep. Adam Schiff's letter, there are some fights worth fighting even if you're going to lose the battle.

This falls squarely into that category.

And I am deeply grateful to the Democrats for leading the fight against this emergency declaration, because, as I wrote yesterday, it's not just about the wall. It's about the expansion of authoritarian powers and the further erosion of our democracy.

It has never been, not really, about building a wall, but about building the foundations of autocratic rule.

And even if it were just about the wall, it would be worth fighting on that basis, too.