Four of the five members of San Diego’s congressional delegation voted to terminate President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency to build a border wall.
Reps. Susan Davis, Mike Levin, Scott Peters and Juan Vargas, all Democrats, voted for the resolution terminating the emergency, while Republican Duncan Hunter voted against it.
The resolution passed the House 245 to 182 on Tuesday afternoon with five representatives not voting.
“Today, a bipartisan House voted to uphold the Constitution and end President Trump’s national emergency declaration to fund his border wall,” said Davis after the vote. “Trump is attempting to bypass Congress and raid funding from our military and military families.”
“There is no emergency — only a humanitarian crisis created by this president,” added Davis, who represents the 53rd District in central San Diego County.
Peters said it is the emergency declaration, not the wall, that is a true security issue for the country.
“After failing to convince Congress and the American people to pay for his archaic, multi-billion-dollar wall that won’t make us safer, President Trump is circumventing congressional authority and risking national security,” said Peters, who represents the 52nd District in coastal San Diego County. “His rash declaration could undermine dozens of real national security programs across the nation.”
Levin, who represents the 49th District in north coastal San Diego and south Orange counties, said he voted for the resolution in part because Camp Pendleton stood to lose nearly $124 million in funding for improvements, including $47 million to upgrade drinking water infrastructure.
Congress voted on Feb. 15 to allocate $1.4 billion to erect 55 miles of border barrier. Trump signed the legislation to avoid a second government shutdown, but then declared a national emergency in order to divert $7 billion from other programs to accomplish his signature campaign promise.
Hunter, who represents the sprawling 50th District in east San Diego County, voted against against the spending bill, citing a “lack of adequate funding for border security, including a wall,” but questioned the need for an emergency declaration.
“While I wholeheartedly support building the wall, I have significant concerns with the President declaring a national emergency in order to obtain funding in this manner,” he said at the time. Nevertheless, he voted against the resolution on Tuesday.
It’s uncertain whether the House resolution to terminate the emergency will pass in the Senate, where there is a Republican majority, and the President could use his veto power to proceed with building a wall.
