UPDATE – Measure to end Trump's wall emergency clears Congress

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT </p> <p>By Michael Hernandez </p> <p>WASHINGTON (AA) – The Republican-controlled Senate approved a resolution Thursday rescinding President Donald Trump's border wall national emergency declaration, setting the stage for a presidential showdown. </p> <p>The 59-41 vote paves the way for Trump to issue the first veto of his presidency. </p> <p>&quot;VETO!&quot; Trump exclaimed on Twitter shortly after the vote. He earlier told reporters his order would not be overturned.</p> <p>In all, 12 Republicans threw their support behind the Democratic initiative, largely over concerns that the president's action violates the Constitution's separation of powers. </p> <p>The resolution cleared the House of Representatives last month, and Trump has vowed it will not clear his desk. </p> <p>Lawmakers would need a two-thirds majority in each chamber to override the veto, and with just 59 senators in the 100-member Senate voting in favor Thursday, such an effort would fall short barring a major shift among the Republican caucus. </p> <p>Trump moved to build his long-promised U.S.-Mexico border wall through an executive order last month after he failed to get the $5.7 billion he was seeking from Congress for the barrier's construction, having shut down Congress for the longest stretch in history over his demand. </p> <p>Opponents of Trump's executive order have warned it sets a dangerous precedent and violates the Constitution's delegation of funding powers to the legislative branch. </p> <p>&quot;President Trump is relying on an incredibly frail legal argument to justify this blatant power grab,&quot; Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein said in a statement. &quot;It’s incumbent upon Congress to hold this president accountable as he attempts to seize one of our most important powers.&quot;</p> <p>Thursday's vote marks the first time Congress has successfully voted to overturn a president's executive order and is also noteworthy because lawmakers directly rebuked Trump's effort to achieve his signature campaign pledge.