Twelve GOP senators voted with all of the Democrats to overturn Trump’s use of emergency powers to build the wall. This is, of course, being cited as evidence that the GOP is willing to break with Trump and provide appropriate congressional oversight under limited circumstances. Is that correct?
Maybe I’m just a glass half empty guy, but I don’t see it. To me, the story here is that 41 GOP senators voted with Trump knowing perfectly well that the “emergency” was bogus and that any decision to permit the use of emergency powers would be a dangerous precedent, from their perspective, in the hands of a Democratic president. If a large majority of the GOP senators will vote for him on that, when would they break with him? Is an impeachment conviction under even extreme circumstances plausible? Would they stop him if he tried to shut down the internet, cancel the election, and send his opponents to Gitmo?
Not likely. They would be too fearful of the base and Fox News. If we ever have to rely on the GOP to protect our civil rights, we’re in deep trouble.