House Passes Bill Blocking Trump Border Emergency by Joshua Jamerson and Kristina Peterson – Wall Street Journal
WASHINGTON—The House voted to block the White House from redirecting federal funds toward building a border wall, and the Senate inched closer to doing the same, raising the specter of President Trump exercising his veto power for the first time.
As newly empowered House Democrats moved to assert congressional authority over government spending, there appeared to be nearly enough Republican support for the measure to clear the Senate in the coming weeks. Mr. Trump has already said he would veto the measure should Congress send it to his desk.
The House vote was the first of its kind since lawmakers in 1976 authored the National Emergencies Act, which allows Congress to terminate an emergency declaration. The law also limits an emergency to 180 days unless the president renews it.
The measure cleared by a vote of 245-182, with a handful of Republicans joining Democrats.
Mr. Trump recently declared a national emergency over the southern border after Congress passed a spending bill that appropriates $1.38 billion for 55 miles of barriers—significantly less than the $5.7 billion he had demanded.
Dissatisfied with the lower figure, the president said he would pull together $6.7 billion from the military and other sources, saying it was needed to properly secure the border.
Democrats said their effort to block the president was about upholding the checks and balances in the Constitution, which bestows upon Congress the power of the purse…