WH: Trump Would Veto Congress Vote     02/17 10:09

   A top adviser to President Donald Trump indicated Sunday that Trump is 
prepared to issue the first veto of his term if Congress votes to disapprove of 
his declaration of a national emergency along the U.S.-Mexico border.

   WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- A top adviser to President Donald Trump 
indicated Sunday that Trump is prepared to issue the first veto of his term if 
Congress votes to disapprove of his declaration of a national emergency along 
the U.S.-Mexico border.

   White House senior adviser Stephen Miller told "Fox News Sunday" that "the 
president is going to protect his national emergency declaration." Asked if 
that meant Trump was ready to veto, Miller added, "He's going to protect his 
national emergency declaration, guaranteed."

   Trump declared the emergency Friday in an effort to go around Congress to 
fund his border wall. It would allow him to move federal dollars earmarked for 
military construction to the border --- but is already facing legal and 
political challenges.

   California Attorney General Xavier Becerra told ABC's "This Week" that his 
state would sue "imminently" to block the order, after the American Civil 
Liberties Union and the nonprofit watchdog group Public Citizen announced 
Friday they were taking legal action.

   Democrats are planning to introduce a resolution disapproving of the 
declaration once Congress returns to session and it is likely to pass Congress. 
Several Republican senators are already indicating they would vote against 
Trump --- though there do not yet appear to be enough votes to override a veto 
by the president.

   The White House's Miller insisted that Congress granted the president wide 
berth under the National Emergencies Act to take action. But Trump's 
declaration goes beyond previous emergencies in shifting money after Congress 
blocked his funding request for the wall, which will likely factor in legal 
challenges.

   Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told CBS's "Face the Nation" that he believes 
Congress needs to act to "defend" its powers of the purse.

   "I do think that we should not set the terrible precedent of letting a 
president declare a national emergency simply as a way of getting around the 
congressional appropriations process," he said.

   Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, told ABC that he believes there are 
enough GOP votes to prevent the supermajorities required to override a veto.

   "I think there are plenty of votes in the House to make sure that there's no 
override of the president's veto," he said. "So it's going to be settled in 
court, we'll have to wait and see."


(KA)