Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) reacted to the Senate’s history-making Resolution of Disapproval vote. Donald Trump made a power grab for the House of Representative’s Constitutionally guaranteed power of the purse. He believed that he could force a fake National Emergency upon the country and move monies around to build his wall along the Southern border, after the Congress expressly told him ‘no.’
Democratic leadership felt it had enough votes to just pass it, but a full 12 Republican senators voted with them. The House had already passed a resolution to disapprove of Trump’s declaration along party lines.
Schumer said:
‘Today’s votes cap a week of something the American people haven’t seen in enough years. Both parties have given the president three major rebukes. On transparency, accountability, and the power of our government.
‘Twelve senators joined the Democrats…it should not be so unusual for Republicans to stand with us. I thank them. There are green shoots of courage, principle, and maybe exasperation to constrain the president.
‘The president regards government as a tool to serve his personal interests. He equates the government with his own ego. This sends a strong message. The United States does not have a king and never will. Especially with this president’s monarchical leanings.’
The Senate minority leader said those Republicans were “courageous to stand up” to Trump. Schumer called out Representatives Devin Nunes (R-CA) and Jim Jordan (OH) for blocking the bill to release the Mueller report to the Congress and the American people.
When asked by a reporter the point of a resolution if it is vetoed, Schumer said:
‘If it’s wrong, it’s wrong. He will veto it, and it will go back to the House where it will not pass with a 2/3’s vote. We can bring it up every six months…The point of defending the checks and balances? We will defend it 10 times if they knock it down until they don’t…
‘We will use every means we have to stop the president from moving money around, legislatively and in the court. we will fight him every day.’
