15 Bipartisan Senators Urge Mitch McConnell to Curb Trump National Emergency Authority

Fifteen Republican and Democrat senators sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), urging them to take up legislation that would grant Congress more oversight over President Donald Trump’s national emergency authority.

Fifteen Republican and Democrat senators sent a letter to McConnell and Schumer, urging them to allow a Senate floor vote on the ARTICLE ONE Act. The ARTICLE ONE Act would stipulate that a national emergency would expire within 30 days unless Congress votes to continue the national emergency through a simple majority in each chamber of Congress.

The legislation would invert the current proceeding for Congress to nullify a national emergency.

After a president declares a national emergency, Congress can terminate the declaration by passing a resolution of disapproval against the national emergency. Congress has passed resolutions to end Trump’s national emergency declaration; however, the president vetoed the legislation, and Congress failed to override the veto.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) sponsored the Article ONE Act in March and passed through the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs by voice vote in July.

President Trump declared a national emergency to build a wall along the southern border in the wake of Congress’ inability to pass significant border wall funding. The ARTICLE ONE Act would not eliminate Trump’s ability to declare a national emergency; although, the bill would make it easier for Congress to terminate the emergency, especially with a Democrat-led House.

The 15 senators that sponsored the ARTICLE ONE Act include:

1. Mike Lee
2. Ron Johnson (R-WI)
3. Gary Peters (D-MI)
4. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ)
5. Roy Blunt (R-MO)
6. Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
7. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
8. Tom Udall (D-NM)
9. Rob Portman (R-OH)
10. Brian Schatz (D-HI)
11. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
12. Mitt Romney (R-UT)
13. Ben Sasse (R-NE)
14. Johnny Isakson (R-GA)
15. Tom Carper  (D-DE)

Sen. Sinema said in a statement Monday, “It is Congress’s constitutional duty to appropriate funds, and we must protect that power regardless of who is president.”

Read the senator’s letter to Schumer and McConnell here.