Lee, fifth GOP senator, to vote against Trump’s border declaration

GOP Sen. Mike Lee (Utah) says he will vote for a resolution disapproving of President Trump’s national emergency declaration on the southern border, becoming the fifth Senate Republican to announce his support for the measure.

Republicans control 53 seats and all Democrats are expected to vote for the disapproval resolution, which means it has enough votes to pass the Senate. 

Lee announced his support after talks with the White House collapsed Wednesday afternoon. 

{mosads}Lee and a group of other GOP senators including Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) had tried to negotiate a deal with Vice President Pence whereby Republicans would vote against the disapproval resolution in exchange for Trump endorsing legislation sponsored by Lee to rein in the president’s power to declare national emergencies in the future. 

“We tried to cut a deal, the president didn’t appear interested,” Lee told The Hill. “I’ll be voting ‘yes.’”

Trump called Lee during a lunchtime meeting of the Senate Republican conference Wednesday to inform him that he would not support his bill to require Congress to vote to approve future national emergency declarations after 30 days. 

Lee announced the president’s decision Wednesday, signaling that talks to stop the disapproval resolution had collapsed. 

Four other Senate Republicans say they will vote for the resolution: Sens. Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.).

Tillis had engaged in the talks with Lee and Pence in hopes of finding a compromise that would allow him to change his mind and vote against the disapproval resolution.

Tillis told The Hill Wednesday that his vote would depend on the outcome of the talks with the White House. 

Several other Republican senators are expected to vote for the disapproval resolution.