
© Greg Nash
Sen. Rand Paul
Randal (Rand) Howard PaulOvernight Health Care: 50 million coronavirus vaccines given | Pfizer news | Biden health nominees Rand Paul criticized for questioning of transgender health nominee Haley isolated after Trump fallout MORE (R-Ky.) predicted on Sunday that the Supreme Court will likely strike down President Trump
Donald TrumpProsecutors focus Trump Organization probe on company's financial officer: report WHO official says it's 'premature' to think pandemic will be over by end of year Romney released from hospital after fall over the weekend MORE's emergency declaration, adding that the president's actions went against "the will of Congress."



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Trump's emergency declaration is already facing legal challenges. Trump predicted last month that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will block his move to declare a national emergency to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall — but that he'll win the fight at the Supreme Court.
He said at the time that he hoped the administration would "get a fair shake and we'll win in the Supreme Court, just like the [travel] ban." He added that Republicans who were supporting Trump's emergency declaration after criticizing Obama's actions "will and should be condemned for hypocrisy."
Trump declared a national emergency after Congress passed legislation giving him $1.375 billion for physical barriers along the border, less than the $5.7 billion he requested. "Congress clearly expressed its will not to spend more than $1.3 billion and to restrict how much of that money could go to barriers. Therefore, President Trump’s emergency order is clearly in opposition to the will of Congress," Paul wrote in the op-ed on Sunday. Paul's op-ed comes after he told Republicans in Kentucky at a dinner on Saturday night that he could not "vote to give the president the power to spend money that hasn’t been appropriated by Congress." "Every single Republican I know decried President Obama’s use of executive power to legislate. We were right then. But the only way to be an honest officeholder is to stand up for the same principles no matter who is in power," Paul writes in the op-ed.
But Paul appears to go a step further in the Sunday op-ed, specifically saying he will support the resolution of disapproval when it comes on the Senate floor in a matter of days and outlining his reasons for supporting it.
"I stand with the president often, and I do so with a loud voice. Today, I think he’s wrong, not on policy, but in seeking to expand the powers of the presidency beyond their constitutional limits," Paul wrote.
Paul's vote gives supporters of the resolution blocking the emergency declaration their crucial 51st vote needed to send the measure to Trump's desk, where he's warned that he will veto it.
With all 47 senators in the Democratic caucus expected to support the resolution of disapproval, they needed to flip four Republicans. In addition to Paul, Sens. Susan Collins
Susan Margaret CollinsSenate Democrats negotiating changes to coronavirus bill On The Money: Senators push for changes as chamber nears vote on .9T relief bill | Warren offers bill to create wealth tax GOP says Ron Klain pulling Biden strings MORE (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski
Lisa Ann MurkowskiMurkowski says no decision after Tanden meeting Green New Deal's 3 billion ton problem: sourcing technology metals The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Trump teases on 2024 run MORE (R-Alaska) and Thom Tillis
Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisMcConnell backs Garland for attorney general GOP senators demand probe into Cuomo's handling of nursing home deaths CNN anchor confronts GOP chairman over senator's vote to convict Trump MORE (R-N.C.) are expected to vote for the resolution.


