Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) is one of the heroes of Congress where courage is a rare commodity. The Republican party has given itself over to Donald Trump’s whims and disasters. The Alaskan senator stood out head-and-shoulders above her colleagues this week, especially in these trying times.
Trump usurped the House of Representatives mandate from the Constitution to be the purse strings of the government by declaring a fake emergency declaration. The president does not have the authority to take money that was designated for other uses and plop it into his southern border wall budget, but he has been trying.
House Democrats filed the resolution to block Trump’s emergency declaration. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said it goes to the floor early this week. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) is expected to release a similar resolution. He needs to flip four Republicans to achieve a wining vote.
A Murkowski aide provided The Associated Press with an audio recording. In it, the Alaskan senator said she was likely to “be supporting the resolution” against Trump’s emergency declaration:
‘I want to make sure that the resolution of disapproval is exactly what I think it is, because if it is as I understand it to be, I will likely be supporting the resolution to disapprove of the action.’
Murkowski also spoke on an Alaskan TV station KTUU, saying that she “probably would vote against Trump usurping power from the House of Representatives:
‘When I say probably, I want to make sure that what in fact we are voting on when it comes to the Senate is what I believe it is. If it’s what I have seen right now, I will support the resolution to disapprove.’
She said that she was likely supporting the resolution not because she disagrees with Trump on border security. Murkowski stressed the need for “clear lines (on) the separation of powers:”
‘(There needs to be) clear lines (on) the separation of powers, the institution of the Congress as that appropriating branch. You’re going to see a lot of drama in the next couple of weeks.’
Trump started out his morning tweet urging his senators on the Republican side of the aisle to be “strong and smart” about the vote:
“I hope our great Republican Senators don’t get led down the path of weak and ineffective Border Security. Without strong Borders, we don’t have a Country – and the voters are on board with us. Be strong and smart, don’t fall into the Democrats “trap” of Open Borders and Crime!’
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) was the first Republican senator to voice her support for the resolution of disapproval. She worried about how Trump’s wall would affect her state. Unfortunately, Collins talks a big talk against issues, then changes her mind at the last minute. She said:
‘I believe it will pass the House, and, I don’t know what the vote situation will be in the Senate, nor do I know exactly what that resolution will say but it is a privileged matter. That means that it will come before the Senate for a vote, and if it’s a clean disapproval resolution, I will support it.’
Trump said he would veto the measure.
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
