John Fritze and David Jackson, USA TODAY, March 15, 2019

President Donald Trump vetoed a congressional resolution Friday that rescinded his national emergency declaration at the U.S. Mexico border, wielding the power for the first time in his presidency to save a top priority.

Trump’s veto came a day after a dozen Senate Republicans joined all Democrats in a rebuke of the president’s declaration of a national emergency in February to free up more than $6 billion for his long-promised wall along the Southwest border.

The president was flanked in the Oval Office by law enforcement officials and the families of people who have been the victim of crimes committed by immigrants in the country illegally. He described the resolution as “dangerous” and “reckless.”

“I am vetoing this resolution,” Trump said. “Congress has the freedom to pass this resolution and I have the duty to veto it.”

{snip}

Although there was bipartisan support to block Trump’s emergency, the opposition fell short of the two-thirds majority that would be required to override a presidential veto. Democrats have promised to bring the issue back to the House and Senate floors in six months – which they are entitled to do under law – forcing Republicans to vote on the issue again.

The border emergency is the latest flashpoint in a new era divided government in Washington after Democrats claimed control of the House in last year’s midterm election. President Barack Obama issued his first veto after less than a year in office to block a spending bill that became redundant when Congress passed a full-year measure the same day.

{snip} Obama and Bush issued a dozen vetoes each.

Trump’s decision to issue the veto was not a surprise: The White House formally threatened to do so before the resolution cleared the House. Shortly after the Senate vote on Thursday, Trump posted an unusually short note on Twitter.

“VETO!” was all it read.