The White House is making some headway in the attempt to ward off congressional humiliation, as more and more Senate Republicans are being coaxed to get behind a new proposal related to the national emergency.
According to a Tuesday Washington Post report, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has drafted legislation that would put reins on the 1976 National Emergencies Act by limiting any President’s unilateral action to a 30-day period before requiring congressional approval. A growing number of Senate Republicans seem to be gravitating towards supporting Lee’s legislation and the national emergency.
The White House is reportedly not all in on Lee’s proposal, and has floated ideas like making the 30 days 30 legislative days, which would significantly lengthen the window. But for now, President Donald Trump and his aides are more desperate to avoid the mortification that would come with a resounding defeat in both houses.
“They’re being beaten up right now, so if you see anybody that’s got blood dripping out of their ear, they may be changing,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) told the Post of his still-undecided Republican colleagues. “There’s still a significant number, but there’s a lot of people being bruised and bullied.”
