Major GOP Senator Proposes Trump's Ultimatum on Border Emergency

National emergency

Senator Lamar Alexander urged the president to withdraw his declaration of national emergency or to face a republican revolt.

Senator Lamar Alexander issued an ultimatum to President Donald Trump on Thursday: reconsider your national emergency declaration at the border or face a potential GOP rebellion.

Republican Tennessee, who was retiring, declined to declare when he would decide to block the president's maneuver, but headed to the Senate to try to convince Trump that he has "no money". 39; other ways to collect $ 5.7 billion for the border wall he demanded during the government stop battle.

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"He has sufficient funding without a national emergency, he can build a wall and avoid a dangerous precedent," Alexander told reporters. "That would change the electoral situation if he agreed to do it."

Three other Republicans have said they will join the Democrats in voting for a resolution to block Trump, and that he will need it only for the Senate to reject Trump's statement.

But Alexander categorically refused to become the 51st vote of the disapproval resolution on which the Senate is expected to vote in March, considering this as an assumption since Trump could withdraw the declaration of national emergency or the resolution passed by the House could be changed.

Under the legislation in force, the measure in the House will be in place by mid-March, and Alexander left no doubt that he is one of the major groups of Republicans likely to challenge the president.

Trump's national emergency statement regarding the financing of the border wall is "useless, reckless and unconstitutional," Alexander told reporters. "And many Republican senators who can speak for themselves share this view."

"We have never had a case where the president asked for money, Congress refused it, and then used the national emergency powers to spend it anyway," he said. he added. "For me, it's a dangerous precedent."