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House blocks Trump national emergency over border, setting up veto


President Donald Trump speaks while participating in a tour of border wall prototypes.Kevin Lamarque | ReutersThe House voted Friday to block the national emergency declaration President Donald Trump is using to fund his proposed border wall. The Democratic-held chamber passed a resolution to terminate Trump’s action by a 236-174 margin, sending it to the president. Eleven Republicans and one independent supported it. The Senate already approved the measure in a 54-41 vote, as 11 Republicans joined Democrats in backing it.Trump will likely veto the resolution, the sixth time he will have blocked congressional legislation as president. He already vetoed a measure to end the emergency declaration in March.Neither chamber of Congress appears to have the two-thirds majority needed to override the president’s opposition. Failing to get the funding he desired for borders on the southern border from both the Mexican government and Congress, Trump declared the national emergency in February. His administration plans to pull $3.6 billion from military construction to fund border projects. Democrats have accused Trump of both circumventing Congress’ power of the purse and raiding key Defense funds for unnecessary barriers. A handful of Republicans in both the House and Senate also had concerns about the precedent Trump’s declaration would set for executive overreach in the future. Some Senate Republicans facing elections next year have faced sharp political pressure over the national emergency vote. Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.

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