Today on the Hill: WH Looks to Quell Senate GOP Revolt on Trump National Emergency Declaration

The White House is looking to stave off Senate GOP support of a Democratic attempt to overturn President Donald Trump’s border security national emergency. Under the rumored deal — which is being brokered by Vice President Mike Pence — President Trump would agree to sign legislation by Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) that would rein in the chief executive’s power to declare future national emergencies if Senators vote down the Democratic resolution of disapproval resolution tomorrow.

Despite these efforts to avoid an intraparty clash, the offer was reportedly met with skepticism by GOP Senators largely because they are unsure as to whether President Trump would sign a measure that curbs executive authority. It’s also highly unlikely that Sen. Lee’s measure would reach the President’s desk as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stated that the lower chamber will not take up the bill. 

On the floor, Senators are expected to clear the nominations of Neomi Rao to be a Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia and William Beach to be Commissioner of Labor Statistics. In the House, lawmakers have queued up a resolution (H.Res. 206) out of the Financial Services Committee acknowledging that the lack of transparency in financial transactions and corporate formation poses a threat to the economy and national security.