Now that we're in a national "emergency," congressional Republicans are in a bit of a spot, particularly since there were so many stories about them warning against it before the Russian asset went off the deep end and did it. They're going to be forced to reckon with that now, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer's promise of resolutions to block the declaration legislatively, as well as possible legal challenges. Republicans have got a cowardly out, however, in the form of a promised presidential veto.
Serial-killer impersonator and Trump policy adviser Stephen Miller went on Fox Sunday to promise that Trump would use his first veto to keep the declaration in place. "He's going to protect his national emergency declaration, guaranteed," Miller said. There's Mitch McConnell’s and every other Republican's excuse for not standing against Trump and exercising their Article I power. McConnell's excuse for refusing to stand up against Trump and keep government open by bringing any one of the dozen or so funding bills passed by the House to the floor was that Trump wouldn't sign them. He won't be able to keep this resolution off the floor this time, but will still have the excuse that Trump would just veto it anyway to hide behind. Oh, and national security something something.
There are a few Republicans more committed to the Constitution and their constituents than to Trump. Such as Rep. Will Hurd, whose district encompasses a long stretch of the Texas border. He'll vote for the resolution. "I'm always open to making sure that Congress takes back some of this power as a co-equal branch of government," he said on CBS's Face the Nation Sunday. But most are going to be like Sen. Ron Johnson. The Wisconsin Republican told NBC's Meet the Press that "I wish he wouldn't use [an emergency declaration] in this case," and mumbled something about a "diminished" Congress, but after all, Trump needs the money. "I have to stress this president's been thwarted in his attempt to keep this nation safe and secure. To secure our borders."
That's precisely what California's Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff was talking about on CNN's State of the Union Sunday. "If we surrender the power of the purse," he said, "which is our most important power, there will be little check and no balance left. It will not be a separation of powers anymore, just a separation of parties. So this is going to be a moment of truth for my GOP colleagues." Another one. And another one in which they'll prove that they're putting party over country by standing with the unstable would-be despot in the Oval Office.
