March 14, 2019, 04:39 PM
downtownvquote:
Originally posted by deepocean:
quote:
Originally posted by ChicagoSigMan:
It bothers the crap out of me that 12 Republican senators who never took action against any previous declaration of an emergency by any other president, suddenly decided to screw Trump on his signature issue and hand the Democrats another talking point. You can bet that Rubio is going to hear from me.
What are the names of the twelve who voted against the emergency declaration?
The usual suspests with few few shockers!
Mitt Romney
Romney, the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, has had a complicated relationship with Trump, whom he publicly criticized during the 2016 election. Trump endorsed Romney's race for Senate last year to fill the seat left open by the retirement of Orrin Hatch.
"I agree that a physical barrier is urgently needed," Romney said. "I am seriously concerned that overreach by the executive branch is an invitation to further expansion and abuse by future presidents."
Lamar Alexander
Alexander had urged Trump for weeks to find a way to access unspent money without taking the controversial step of declaring a national emergency. Though he appeared to be leaning against Trump on the issue, he did not announced his position until just before the vote.
"I support the president on border security," Alexander said. But, he said, the emergency "is inconsistent with the U.S. Constitution that I swore an oath to support."
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., at a news conference on Capitol
Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., at a news conference on Capitol Hill on May 17, 2016. (Photo: Jacquelyn Martin, AP)
Roy Blunt
Of the dozen Republican "yes" votes, six serve on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the panel tasked with deciding how taxpayer money is spent. Members on the committee, many of whom have a reputation for bipartisan deal making, arguably had the most to lose from relinquishing spending authority to the president.
Sen. Blunt, R-Mo., was one of the appropriations members who opposed Trump.
“I think it sets a dangerous precedent and I hope he doesn’t do it,” Blunt told reporters earlier this year.
Rand Paul
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., had voiced objections to the emergency declaration earlier this month. Paul said that approving the declaration would be tantamount to giving “extra-Constitutional powers to the president” – something he said he’s unwilling to do.
Mike Lee
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah (Photo: AP)
White House officials scrambled behind the scenes to limit defections. A last-ditch effort by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, to ease some GOP concerns about presidential emergencies collapsed after the White House rejected it. Lee's proposal would have terminated some presidential emergencies after 30 days unless Congress affirmatively voted to reauthorize them.
After the talks fell through, Lee announced he would support the resolution.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is pictured on Capitol Hill June 20, 2017.
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, is pictured on Capitol Hill June 20, 2017. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite, AP)
Rob Portman
Portman announced his position in a speech on the Senate floor, arguing that future president could use another national emergency to tear down Trump's wall. Administration officials had lobbied for Portman's vote. The senator told reporters in late February he attended a meeting with Pence and Justice Department officials to discuss the president's emergency.
"It doesn't mean the president can ignore Congress and substitute his will for the will of the people," Portman said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is surrounded by members of the
Sen. Lisa Murkowski is surrounded by members of the media on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017. (Photo: Alex Wong, Getty Images)
Lisa Murkowski
Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was one of the relatively early opponents of the emergency declaration. Murkowski does not face re-election until 2022, giving her some additional political cover to oppose a president who remains popular within the GOP.
"My concern is really about the institution of the Congress," Murkowski said recently. "The power of the purse rests with the Congress."
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) walking into the Senate Chambers before the Senate voted to reject a pair of dueling bills Thursday to fund the federal government and end the longest partial government shutdown in history.
Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) walking into the Senate Chambers before the Senate voted to reject a pair of dueling bills Thursday to fund the federal government and end the longest partial government shutdown in history. (Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
Susan Collins
Among the Senate's most outspoken centrist Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine was an early opponent of Trump's use of an emergency to free up funding for the wall. She was also not swayed by efforts made by some of her GOP colleagues to build support for Trump with a proposal that would have limited the president's emergency powers in the future.
That effort, she said, "does not address the current problem that we have, where the president, in my judgment, is usurping Congressional authority to appropriate funds.”
Jerry Moran
Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, took the unusual step of announcing his decision to oppose Trump by tweeting a photograph of a handwritten statement, including with edit marks.
"The president can advance the building of a wall with the funding just approved by Congress," Moran wrote on a legal pad, referring to the recently passed legislation that reopened federal agencies after the historic 35-day government shutdown. "The declaration of an emergency is not necessary."
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks to reporters following a closed briefing on intelligence matters on Capitol Hill on Dec. 4, 2018 in Washington.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks to reporters following a closed briefing on intelligence matters on Capitol Hill on Dec. 4, 2018 in Washington. (Photo: Zach Gibson, Getty Images)
Marco Rubio
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., had expressed reservations about Trump's use of an emergency declaration as far back as last month. The onetime presidential candidate and Trump foe has been an on-again, off-again support of Trump's policies.
“We have a crisis at our southern border, but no crisis justifies violating the Constitution,” the state's senior senator said last month. "A future president may use this exact same tactic to impose the Green New Deal."
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania speaks to supporters
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania speaks to supporters following his election victory Nov. 8 in Breinigsville, Pa. (Photo: Jeff Swensen, Getty Images)
Pat Toomey
Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., had voiced concern about Trump’s emergency declaration, but didn’t announce he would vote to block it until Thursday.
Toomey, who kept a careful distance from Trump when he ran for re-election in 2016, told Pennsylvania reporters that he supported the president’s underlying goal. But he said he feared Trump’s declaration would pave the way for a future Democratic president issuing a national emergency to combat climate change.
Roger Wicker
Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., was among more than a dozen Republican senators who tried to gain support for a bill that would limit presidential emergency declarations. Wicker, who was re-elected to a third term last year, had urged Trump not to declare an emergency, arguing the administration could have pulled money from elsewhere.
“I think there are reprogramming opportunities for him outside of [an] emergency,” said Wicker, known as a defender of Senate traditions.
March 15, 2019, 10:48 AM
Pipe SmokerMore winning! Zippy would’ve been gung-ho for this…
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States will revoke or deny visas to International Criminal Court personnel who attempt to investigate or prosecute alleged abuses committed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere and may do the same with those who try to take action against Israel, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Friday.
Pompeo, making good on a threat delivered last September by national security adviser John Bolton, said the U.S. had already moved against some employees of The Hague-based court, but declined to say how many or what cases they may have been investigating.
“We are determined to protect the American and allied military and civilian personnel from living in fear of unjust prosecution for actions taken to defend our great nation,” Pompeo said.
He said any wrongdoing committed by American personnel would be dealt with in U.S. military and criminal courts…”
https://apnews.com/08e538e370914f6e8243e237dbde50b5
At least new senator Blackburn didn't vote against.
