Opposition to President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE’s emergency border declaration is snowballing in the Senate, forcing Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellPelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Senate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report Trump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes MORE (R-Ky.) to scramble for a way to avoid a major embarrassment for the president.

While McConnell has long viewed a resolution of disapproval backed by Democrats as likely to pass the Senate, support for the measure is growing. Some senators and aides say they think it could get as many as 15 Republican votes, which would put it in striking distance of a veto-proof majority.

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“Members of the Senate ought to have a real problem and not be flippant about allowing the president so blatantly to go around the Article I power of the purse. This is what separates us from the rest of the world. We have a rule of law,” said a GOP senator who put the high-water mark for Republican support at 15 senators.

New names surfacing as possible defectors on next week’s vote include Sens. Jerry Moran Gerald (Jerry) MoranLobbying world This World Suicide Prevention Day, let's recommit to protecting the lives of our veterans Hillicon Valley: Zuckerberg acknowledges failure to take down Kenosha military group despite warnings | Election officials push back against concerns over mail-in voting, drop boxes MORE (Kan.), Todd Young Todd Christopher YoungSenate GOP eyes early exit Why the US should rely more on strategy, not sanctions Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump MORE (Ind.), Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneySenate GOP aims to confirm Trump court pick by Oct. 29: report The Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Senate GOP sees early Supreme Court vote as political booster shot MORE (Utah), Ben Sasse Benjamin (Ben) Eric SasseGovernment watchdog recommends creation of White House cyber director position Chamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Ben Sasse is mistaken with idea for the election of senators in America MORE (Neb.), Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump argues full Supreme Court needed to settle potential election disputes Press: Notorious RBG vs Notorious GOP The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy MORE (Texas), Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeMcConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package McConnell tries to unify GOP Davis: The Hall of Shame for GOP senators who remain silent on Donald Trump MORE (Utah) and Ron Johnson Ronald (Ron) Harold Johnson CIA found Putin 'probably directing' campaign against Biden: report This week: Supreme Court fight over Ginsburg's seat upends Congress's agenda GOP set to release controversial Biden report MORE (Wis.), who all have expressed constitutional concerns in recent days, say colleagues.

In the House, there’s little chance that opponents can get close to a two-thirds majority, but such a large Senate vote against Trump is something that GOP leaders and the White House would deeply love to prevent.

Two of McConnell’s top advisers, Sharon Soderstrom, his chief of staff, and Laura Dove, the majority secretary, are scouring the Senate’s rules and procedures to figure out whether it’s possible to vote on an alternative to the Democratic-sponsored resolution of disapproval.

Republican senators say they want to vote for a resolution that states the president should have sufficient funds for border security. But they also want it to express disapproval of the emergency declaration and amend the National Emergencies Act to require future emergency declarations to expire after a period of time unless Congress votes to approve them.

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“I believe we should come up with a resolution or a piece of legislation that would express exactly how we feel, which is we support the president, we do need better barriers,” said Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, after a meeting of the GOP conference Tuesday.

“At the same time, as members of Congress, we should jealously guard our constitutional authority, which has been given away by prior Congresses,” he added.

Sen. Pat Toomey Patrick (Pat) Joseph ToomeyAppeals court rules NSA's bulk phone data collection illegal Dunford withdraws from consideration to chair coronavirus oversight panel GOP senators push for quick, partial reopening of economy MORE (R-Pa.) is leading one promising effort within the GOP conference to put together a resolution that would express support for Trump having adequate funding for border security while also disapproving of his emergency declaration and possibly limiting future executive seizures of spending power.

A GOP senator said Young and Lee are also meeting with the parliamentarian on putting together a similar resolution.

“I think people want to find a way to give the president all the money he asked for but yet discourage the use of emergency declarations,” said Sen. John Cornyn John CornynThe Hill's Campaign Report: GOP set to ask SCOTUS to limit mail-in voting Liberal super PAC launches ads targeting vulnerable GOP senators over SCOTUS fight Senate GOP faces pivotal moment on pick for Supreme Court MORE (R-Texas).

But the effort faces multiple procedural hurdles. One question is whether such a resolution could provide any new funding for border security. Another is whether it would in fact have authority to amend the National Emergencies Act of 1976.

It is clear, however, that any alternative resolution would have to disapprove of and unwind Trump’s emergency declaration in order to have privileged status that would allow it to pass with a simple-majority vote.

Toomey declined Tuesday afternoon to comment on his proposal.

Republicans could possibly hold a vote on a nonprivileged resolution that does not expressly block Trump’s emergency declaration, but it would still allow a vote on the Democratic resolution of disapproval.

Republican senators heard presentations at their lunch meeting Tuesday from Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenDHS IG won't investigate after watchdog said Wolf, Cuccinelli appointments violated law Appeals court sides with Trump over drawdown of immigrant protections Democrats smell blood with new DHS whistleblower complaint MORE and a senior Justice Department attorney justifying Trump’s emergency declaration.

Lawmakers said Nielsen made a compelling case that there’s a crisis at the Mexican border by noting that nearly 80,000 migrants crossed the border illegally last month, but that the legal arguments from the Justice lawyer failed to move conservatives such as Cruz and Lee.

The administration lawyer argued that Trump’s declaration is authorized by something passed by Congress, the National Emergencies Act, and is not merely being asserted by Congress, according to lawmakers who heard his presentation.

The attorney also tried to assuage concerns by suggesting that any money used through the emergency declaration would not go toward buying up private land to build border barriers.

Cruz says that differences of views remain between the administration and the Senate Republicans.

“We’re engaged in ongoing discussions with the administration,” he said. “The discussions are vigorous but it’s not productive to engage in those debates right now in the press.”

Lee is circulating a proposal to limit presidential emergency declarations to a period of 30 days, after which Congress would be required to vote to extend it any further, according to a Senate aide.

Sen. Lamar Alexander Andrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderGraham: GOP has votes to confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy This week: Supreme Court fight over Ginsburg's seat upends Congress's agenda MORE (R-Tenn.) said “most Republican senators believe” that Trump “should have sufficient funds to do border security.”

But, he said, “we do not like the [emergency] declaration because it gives the president the authority to spend money that Congress refused to spend, and that’s a violation of separation of powers.”

“We would like to amend the declaration of powers act to say declarations would expire after a period of time — say 60 days, 30 days, 90 days — unless a majority of Congress votes to approve it,” he added.