Senate GOP Leaders Say They Want Border Deal Whether Or Not Trump Backs It
Source: Talking Points Memo
By Cameron Joseph
February 5, 2019 6:55 pm
Senate Republican leaders said Tuesday that they want the bipartisan group working on avoiding another shutdown to reach an agreement on border security funding — regardless of whether President Trump agrees to support it.
“Obviously it would be great if the president decided to sign the bill,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) told reporters Tuesday afternoon, just hours before Trump was to deliver his State of the Union speech. “I think we don’t yet know what his view is on this. But I think the conferees ought to reach an agreement and then we’ll hope that the president finds it worth signing.”
Senate Republicans have been allowing a hint of daylight between themselves and President Trump on border security since the government shutdown. The government will enter another partial shutdown if lawmakers can’t reach a deal by the end of the day on Feb. 15 that Trump will sign off on.
McConnell also notably wouldn’t say how he would vote if President Trump declares a national emergency on the border and the Senate votes to overrule him. Because of the way the emergency declaration law is written, if Trump does declare a border emergency, Congress can vote to overrule him. When the House votes do so, as is likely, the Senate would have to vote — and a simple majority would be enough to pass there, though Trump could then veto the bill.
Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/senate-gop-leaders-say-they-want-border-deal-whether-or-not-trump-backs-it
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