Trump declares he will veto Senate resolution nixing his emergency declaration

President Trump said Thursday he will veto a measure passed with bipartisan support in the Senate that terminates his emergency declaration at the southern border, setting up the first veto of his presidency.

“I look forward to VETOING the just passed Democrat inspired Resolution which would OPEN BORDERS while increasing Crime, Drugs, and Trafficking in our Country. I thank all of the Strong Republicans who voted to support Border Security and our desperately needed WALL!” the president tweeted after the vote in the Senate.

Twelve Republicans joined Senate Democrats in a 59-41 vote passing the resolution of disapproval. The vote was a significant rebuke to the president, who declared a national emergency Feb. 15 to bypass Congress and divert federal funds for construction of a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The resolution passed the House last month with support from 13 Republicans and, following the Senate’s vote, is now headed to Trump’s desk.

Trump’s forthcoming veto will be the first of his presidency, and it’s unlikely there are enough votes in Congress to override it.

While the president has characterized the emergency declaration as necessary for border security and to combat a humanitarian crisis at the southern border, some Senate Republicans were concerned Trump’s order was unconstitutional and set a dangerous precedent.

The National Emergencies Act gives the president broad power to declare a national emergency and requires him to specify the emergency powers in the U.S. code he is invoking.

With his emergency declaration, Trump identified $3.6 billion from the Defense Department’s military construction fund that will be redirected to fund construction of the wall. The president’s move, however, has been met with a raft of legal challenges from states and organizations that argue it is unconstitutional.