Heinrich Votes To Disapprove Trump’s Unlawful Border Wall Emergency Declaration

WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 14, 2019) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement after voting for a bipartisan resolution to terminate President Trump’s national emergency declaration that would take funds appropriated by Congress for other projects—including military construction—to build his border wall. 

The resolution, which had already passed in the U.S. House of Representatives, passed in the Senate by a vote of 59 to 41. President Trump’s emergency declaration is currently facing multiple legal challenges, including one from the state of New Mexico.

“We cannot allow President Trump to raid taxpayer dollars to pay for a wall that New Mexicans don’t want or need. It’s outrageous that the president is attempting to steal funds designated for critical military construction and disaster response for a wasteful border wall under the false pretense of a national emergency.

“Instead of working with Congress to adopt smart and responsible border policies, President Trump has created an unprecedented constitutional crisis.

“President Trump doesn’t seem to know the difference between being president and being a dictator. Declaring a national emergency—when there is no emergency—to save face with the extreme right-wing voices of his party is a wild abuse of power. If he follows through with his veto threat, Republicans and Democrats alike need to rein in this imperial president.”