The House voted on Tuesday to block President Trump’s recent emergency declaration. This is the strongest legal move so far against Trump’s attempt to secure border wall funding. 13 Republicans and every Democrat in the House voted to overturn the President’s declaration.

This move is unprecedented in Congress. It is the first time that the House has moved against an emergency declaration. The declaration was also the first time that a President has sought to bypass congressional budgeting oversight.

House Partisan Rhetoric Hits a Peak

Statements from Democrat leaders show that political ideologies are as divided as ever. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said of the emergency declaration: “That’s how despots take power. Fidelity to the President, or fidelity to the Constitution. That is the choice we make today.”

A small group of Republicans also chose to stand against the President. The Small House Liberty Caucus said in a statement that “This national emergency declaration does not conform to our constitution.”

The measure to overturn the declaration will now move to a vote in the Senate. Democrats are close to receiving the Republican support that they need to send the measure to the White House. Susan Collins of Maine, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska are all Republicans who have pledged support. One more vote from the Republican side will secure a majority.

President Trump would still have the power to veto the measure. Many in Washington expect that this battle over funding will go all the way to the Supreme Court.

This Battle Could Drag on for Years

The measure to overturn the emergency declaration is not the end of the story. Even if it passes through the Senate, there will not be enough support to overturn the President’s expected Veto.

This would then leave the battle in front of the courts. Several states, led by California, have already filed cases against the declaration. It could take months or even years before President Trump has access to the money.

Is Congress wasting time by moving against the President on this important issue? Or is this the perfect example of the checks and balances that exist within the government.

With Congress only recently ending the longest shutdown in history, a protracted battle over funding is something that few Americans want to see.