Washington (CNN) The Republican-controlled Senate failed on Thursday to overturn President Donald Trump's national emergency declaration he has used to pay for a wall on the US-Mexico border.

Trump announced the emergency in February after failing to persuade Congress to appropriate additional funding to build the wall, one of his main campaign promises in 2016. Congress then rejected it and Trump responded with his first veto. By law, Congress can try to block the declaration every six months but has failed to override the President's decree.

Thursday's vote was 53-36 to reject the emergency declaration, well short of the two-thirds majority necessary to override a veto in the Senate. Ten Republicans sided with 43 Democrats, including GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Roy Blunt of Missouri, Mike Lee of Utah, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Rand Paul of Kentucky, Rob Portman of Ohio, Mitt Romney of Utah, Marco Rubio of Florida, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

The Pentagon has already authorized the diversion of $3.6 billion from 127 military construction projects around the world to pay for 11 wall projects on the US southern border. Senate Democrats have highlighted specific projects the Trump administration is expected to delay, including schools for the children of military families, European Deterrence Initiative projects aimed to deter Russia, and hundreds of millions of dollars for projects in Puerto Rico and Guam.

"The President's emergency declaration is an unconstitutional power grab," said Sen. Tom Udall, D-New Mexico, on Thursday.

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