WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is blocking legislation to block his border wall emergency declaration, setting up the first veto of his administration.
- Trump vetoes legislation to block emergency declaration
- House, Senate not expected to have the votes to override the veto
- Emergency declaration still faces several legal battles
The President signed the veto in the Oval Office Friday afternoon.
Thursday, the Senate voted 59-41 to block the declaration, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats.
It's not expected that the House and Senate will have the votes to override President Trump’s veto.
The declaration would set aside $3.6 billion more to border barriers than Congress approved. It would redirect billions in federal dollars earmarked for defense spending toward the southern border wall.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Trump's veto of legislation blocking the national emergency he's declared at the Mexican border shows he's defying "the Constitution, the Congress and the will of the American people."
Pelosi says the House will vote March 26 on overriding Trump's veto. The chamber seems certain to fall short of the two-thirds majority needed to succeed. That means his emergency declaration would survive, but it still faces several legal challenges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.