House Democrats Rebuke Trump's Border Wall Emergency, Pass Joaquin Castro's Disapproval Resolution

WASHINGTON -- Democrats on Tuesday took a forceful step toward blocking President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration over border security, with the House voting 245-182 in support of San Antonio Rep. Joaquin Castro’s measure to prevent the executive end-around.Even in an era in which politics are often without precedence, the action stood out.Never before had Congress moved to overturn a president’s national emergency declaration since the relevant statute went into effect in the 1970s. And more than just a battle over border wall funding, Democrats like Castro said the country’s constitutional pillars were at stake.“This is the most consequential vote we will take in a generation on the balance of powers between the legislative and executive branches of government,” Castro said, referring to Trump’s declaration as “constitutional cannibalism.”But the vote also signaled that the rebuke could end up being only a historical footnote, rather than achieving its goal of stopping Trump from bypassing Congress to divert funds for his wall.  Continue reading...