Mississippi Senators split on border wall resolution vote

WASHINGTON, DC (WCBI) – Mississippi’s two senators split votes on a resolution condemning President Donald Trump’s national emergency declaration to build a wall along the southern border of the United States.    Senator Roger Wicker sided with those who voting for disapproval of the declaration.   Wicker says the President knew his stance prior to the vote

“I had very cordial conversations with the President yesterday and this morning. I shared with him that I strongly support his plan to build walls on our southern border, but that an emergency declaration was the wrong approach. The President already has almost $6 billion available that can be used to build border walls. For over 20 years in the House and Senate, I have voted for funds to build more than 600 miles of border structure, and I look forward to working with President Trump on additional border security measures.”

Wicker says the long range impact is what bothered him most  “I am concerned about the precedent an emergency declaration sets, which might empower a future liberal President to declare emergencies to enact gun control or to address ‘climate emergencies,’ or even to tear down the wall we are building today.”

Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith sided with the President saying he was correct in his move to shift money to build the wall.

“An emergency declaration may not be an ideal course of action, but an objective look at surging unlawful border crossings and illegal drug trafficking indicates we are facing a crisis that will get worse before it gets better,” she said.  “This is a serious issue.  The citizens of this country would be better served if Congress worked together to address this humanitarian and border security crisis, rather than using the issue to score political points.”

The votes may be more symbolic than anything.  President Trump says he will veto the joint resolution and continue to work on the wall.   Currently not enough votes exist to override a presidential veto.