House vote fails to override Trump's border emergency

March 26 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump's first veto will stand after House Democrats failed to override it Tuesday, meaning the national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border stays and will allow the government to divert money to build a wall.

The chamber needed 290 votes to override the veto, but got 248 -- well short of a two-thirds majority. Three lawmakers didn't vote and 14 Republicans voted to overturn Trump's veto.

The vote is a victory for Trump, who can now proceed with reallocating billions of dollars in funding for a wall at the border. The House and Senate passed a resolution to end Trump's national emergency declaration, saying his attempt to bypass Congress is unconstitutional.

The White House issued a statement saying the vote reaffirms that Democrats are in favor of open borders.

"Democrats continue to ignore the reality that our porous southern border is a magnet for illegal immigration, child smugglers, human traffickers, drug cartels, gangs and many other criminals. This national security and humanitarian crisis endangers every American and cannot be described as anything other than a National Emergency," the statement said.

The vote came a day after the Defense Department authorized more than $1 billion in transferred funds to begin building parts of the wall.

The showdown over wall funding led to the 35-day federal shutdown. Realizing Congress wouldn't pass a bill that included border money, Trump declared the emergency.

Rep. Sam Graves, R-Mo., backs Trump's declaration, saying the border crisis should have been dealt with years ago.

"We can and we must do more to slow the flow of illegal drugs into this country," he said.

Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., said the wall will require eminent domain, and noted that drug smugglers use drones, catapults and tunnels to get around walls. He wants more technology at ports of entry.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said he's concerned the emergency sets a precedent for future presidents to circumvent Congress.

"What we have here is an act of constitutional vandalism. An executive trying to steal the power of the purse away from the Congress," Castro said. "Even those who agree with the wall should agree that this is not the way to do it."

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., said military bases in her district will lose some funding as a result, because money will be reallocated.

"I'm here to say, 'No way,"' Kirkpatrick said Tuesday. "We don't want the expensive or ineffective wall. We want out military bases funded. I will continue to take actions to block this brutal decisions."

The commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, Gen. Robert Neller, warned the Trump administration that shuffling funds poses an "unacceptable risk to Marine Corps combat readiness and solvency."