House passes resolution overturning Trump border emergency

Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a resolution terminating President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration to secure funding for a border wall.

Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled House voted 245-182 in favor of the measure, with the support of every Democrat and 13 Republicans.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, introduced the legislation to overturn the declaration that granted Trump unilateral permission to siphon money from drug interdiction programs and Defense Department construction projects, for a total of $6.7 billion to put toward building a wall.

Despite the Republican support, the votes in favor of the resolution on Tuesday didn't reach the two-thirds threshold to overturn a presidential veto, which is likely to occur if the bill is passed by the Senate.

The resolution will now move to the Republican-held Senate, where Castro said it will require "historic unity" to pass, although as a "privileged" legislation it needs a simple majority of 51 votes to pass.

Castro said the bill has 230 co-sponsors in Congress and Republican senators, including Marco Rubio of Florida and Susan Collins of Maine, have expressed opposition to Trump's declaration.