SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
A demonstrator holds a sign in Lafayette Square during a demonstration organized by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) protesting President Donald Trump's declaration of emergency powers on February 18, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)
'Major Rebuke of Trump's Authoritarianism': Senate Votes to Terminate National Emergency
"From the beginning, his national emergency declaration was a racist attack on the very foundation of our democracy."
Mar 14, 2019
Rights groups celebrated a "historic rebuke" of an unconstitutional power grab Thursday after the Senate voted to terminate President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration by an overwhelming bipartisan margin.
"Today's vote is a major blow to President Donald Trump's autocratic ambitions," said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. "The American people don't want a racist border wall, and by overwhelming numbers they oppose Trump's emergency declaration. They rose up and made their voices clear."
The final vote count was 59-41, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats to pass the resolution of disapproval.
Trump declared a national emergency last month following a record 35-day government shutdown over his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding from Congress.
The president's declaration was immediately met with widespread outrage and a torrent of legal challenges.
In a joint statement, the Revoke Trump Emergency Coalition--an alliance of more than a dozen progressive advocacy groups--said Thursday's vote in the Senate was the product of "grassroots outcry from every corner of this country."
"From the beginning, his national emergency declaration was a racist attack on the very foundation of our democracy, and an assault on the principle of separation of powers," the coalition said. "We'll keep up the heat until Congress reins Trump in, and until every immigrant in our country is treated with dignity and fairness."
The measure, which passed the House last month, will now head to Trump's desk. On Twitter, the president said he "look[s] forward to vetoing" the resolution.
In a statement, MoveOn.org campaign director Emma Einhorn said Trump's veto promise means the fight against his power-grab is far from over.
"Trump has already shown, in so many ways, his complete disregard for the law and the will of the American people," Einhorn concluded. "If Trump vetoes this legislation, we call on Congress to override it, and to do everything in its power to defund hate by cutting agents, detention beds, and demilitarizing our border in the 2020 budget fight."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Rights groups celebrated a "historic rebuke" of an unconstitutional power grab Thursday after the Senate voted to terminate President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration by an overwhelming bipartisan margin.
"Today's vote is a major blow to President Donald Trump's autocratic ambitions," said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. "The American people don't want a racist border wall, and by overwhelming numbers they oppose Trump's emergency declaration. They rose up and made their voices clear."
The final vote count was 59-41, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats to pass the resolution of disapproval.
Trump declared a national emergency last month following a record 35-day government shutdown over his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding from Congress.
The president's declaration was immediately met with widespread outrage and a torrent of legal challenges.
In a joint statement, the Revoke Trump Emergency Coalition--an alliance of more than a dozen progressive advocacy groups--said Thursday's vote in the Senate was the product of "grassroots outcry from every corner of this country."
"From the beginning, his national emergency declaration was a racist attack on the very foundation of our democracy, and an assault on the principle of separation of powers," the coalition said. "We'll keep up the heat until Congress reins Trump in, and until every immigrant in our country is treated with dignity and fairness."
The measure, which passed the House last month, will now head to Trump's desk. On Twitter, the president said he "look[s] forward to vetoing" the resolution.
In a statement, MoveOn.org campaign director Emma Einhorn said Trump's veto promise means the fight against his power-grab is far from over.
"Trump has already shown, in so many ways, his complete disregard for the law and the will of the American people," Einhorn concluded. "If Trump vetoes this legislation, we call on Congress to override it, and to do everything in its power to defund hate by cutting agents, detention beds, and demilitarizing our border in the 2020 budget fight."
Rights groups celebrated a "historic rebuke" of an unconstitutional power grab Thursday after the Senate voted to terminate President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration by an overwhelming bipartisan margin.
"Today's vote is a major blow to President Donald Trump's autocratic ambitions," said Robert Weissman, president of Public Citizen. "The American people don't want a racist border wall, and by overwhelming numbers they oppose Trump's emergency declaration. They rose up and made their voices clear."
The final vote count was 59-41, with 12 Republicans joining Democrats to pass the resolution of disapproval.
Trump declared a national emergency last month following a record 35-day government shutdown over his demand for $5 billion in border wall funding from Congress.
The president's declaration was immediately met with widespread outrage and a torrent of legal challenges.
In a joint statement, the Revoke Trump Emergency Coalition--an alliance of more than a dozen progressive advocacy groups--said Thursday's vote in the Senate was the product of "grassroots outcry from every corner of this country."
"From the beginning, his national emergency declaration was a racist attack on the very foundation of our democracy, and an assault on the principle of separation of powers," the coalition said. "We'll keep up the heat until Congress reins Trump in, and until every immigrant in our country is treated with dignity and fairness."
The measure, which passed the House last month, will now head to Trump's desk. On Twitter, the president said he "look[s] forward to vetoing" the resolution.
In a statement, MoveOn.org campaign director Emma Einhorn said Trump's veto promise means the fight against his power-grab is far from over.
"Trump has already shown, in so many ways, his complete disregard for the law and the will of the American people," Einhorn concluded. "If Trump vetoes this legislation, we call on Congress to override it, and to do everything in its power to defund hate by cutting agents, detention beds, and demilitarizing our border in the 2020 budget fight."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy