58 former senior national security officials from both sides of the aisle, including former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, issued a joint declaration Monday arguing "there is no factual basis" for President Trump's use of emergency powers to build a border wall.
"The President's actions are at odds with the overwhelming evidence in the public record, including the administration's own data and estimates. ... [U]nder no plausible assessment of the evidence is there a national emergency today that entitles the President to tap into funds appropriated for other purposes to build a wall at the southern border."
The big picture: The House is expected to vote on a resolution this week that would block Trump’s emergency declaration. If it passes, the Senate will be forced to take it up, putting Republican senators on the record about whether they support the emergency declaration and potentially setting up the first veto of Trump's presidency.
