The fight over President Donald Trump’s wall entered a new stage today as the United State Senate passed a bipartisan border security plan. The 83-16 Senate vote advances the bill to the House for a vote Thursday night. The measure requires a signature by Trump in time to avert another partial government shutdown this weekend.
The measure would finance 55-miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, significantly less that Trump wanted.
The vote came shortly after the White House announced the president would use emergency powers to build additional miles without approval from Congress. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said he would support Trump’s decision to use emergency powers. McConnell had previously said he opposed the use of them.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said all options were open to counter Trump’s threat. She said a lawsuit is possible and accused trump of an attempt to undermine democracy.
The Center for Constitutional Rights, a New York based progressive legal organization has been suing the Trump administration over its border policies. Staff attorney Angelo Guisado says at the heart of Trump’s threat of declaring a national emergency is an appeal to his xenophobic, anti-immigrant base.
Meanwhile on capitol hill… The Senate on Thursday voted to confirm William Barr as attorney general, 54-45.
The confirmation of Trump's nominee, who will oversee special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, had been expected given the GOP's 53-47 control of the chamber. He was sworn in several hours later at the White House.
Barr, 68, who has been counsel at the Kirkland & Ellis law firm, served as attorney general under President George H.W. Bush from 1991 until 1993, following an 18-year civil service career that began at the CIA.
The new attorney general, nominated by Trump in December to replace Jeff Sessions, will be only the second person to hold the job twice.
While attorney general under the Bush administration he facilitated the presidential pardons of several officials either charged or convicted of crimes.. including Elliot Abrams who is now Trump’s special envoy to Venezuela.
A former reporter for the Washington Post, Jefferson Morley is editor of the Deep State Blog. He says Barr defended the actions of the Central Intelligence Agency during the Iran-Contra scandal.. Moreley adds that Barr is a supporter of broad presidential powers.
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Meanwhile In a luncheon speech to a U.S.-led Middle East security conference in Warsaw, Vice President Mike Pence calls on German, France, and Britain to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
The signature deal of former President Barack Obama was overturned by Trump, but is still supported by the other signatories.
Dan Kovalik is author of The Plot to Control the World: How the US Spent Billions to Change the Outcome of Elections Around the World He says Trump is picking potential war criminals to spearhead his plans in South America and Iran.