WASHINGTON — House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said a resolution of disapproval on President Trump’s national emergency declaration coming to the House floor Tuesday is about how the founding fathers “did not want King George.”
“They’d had enough of King George telling them what to do and so they created this extraordinary government of separation of powers where each had their responsibility and the other could not tread on that responsibility and authority. That’s what tomorrow’s vote is about, not a wall but the Constitution,” Hoyer said at a press conference with fellow House Dem leader and the sponsor of the resolution, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).
“The wall is an important issue but the Constitution is a transcendent issue,” he added. “And the issue will be whether or not the Congress of the United States will exercise the authority given it to it under Article I of the Constitution or whether it will advocate its responsibilities.”
Approval in the House will kick the resolution over to the Senate, where four GOP defections would send the resolution to Trump’s desk for an expected veto. Vice President Mike Pence is expected to meet Tuesday with Senate Republicans to try to keep them from supporting the resolution of disapproval or other efforts to oppose the national emergency declaration.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she had faith in the resolution because “I know that our Republican colleagues care about the Constitution of the United States.”
“I know that they believe in the separation of power. I know that they would not want a president, Republican or Democrat, to usurp the powers of the institution in which we serve,” she said. “I know that they are committed to strengthening this Congress of the United States which is the institution in which we all serve as part of the separation of powers, the checks and balances, the strengths that we all bring in the people’s House and, in the Senate, as well.”
“This is an historic moment for our country, perhaps it gives us the — affords us the opportunity to have an all-American civics lesson about the Constitution of the United States,” Pelosi added.
Castro said he looked “forward to picking up more support including bipartisan support when we take the vote tomorrow.” At the time of the press conference Monday his resolution had 230 House co-sponsors.
“So I pray that the members of the House will have the conscience and the courage to protect the greatest Constitution the world has ever seen,” Castro said.
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