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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 2019)
A5 THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JUNE 29, 2019 Senate fails to limit Trump war powers By LISA MASCARO and DEB RIECHMANN Associated Press WASHINGTON — Polit- ical unease over the White House’s tough talk against Iran is reviving questions about President Donald Trump’s ability to order mil- itary strikes without approval from Congress. The Senate fell short Fri- day, in a 50-40 vote, on an amendment to a sweep- ing Defense bill that would require congressional support before Trump acts. It didn’t reach the 60-vote thresh- old needed for passage. But lawmakers said the majority showing sent a strong mes- sage that Trump cannot con- tinue relying on the nearly two-decade-old war authori- zations Congress approved in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The House is expected to take up the issue next month. “A congressional vote is a pretty good signal of what our constituents are telling us — that another war in the Middle AP Photo/Alex Brandon Activists gather last week in Washington, D.C., to call for regime change in Iran. East would be a disaster right now, we don’t want the presi- dent to just do it on a whim,” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a co-author of the measure with Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M. “My gut tells me that the White House is realizing this is deeply unpopular with the American public.” The effort in the Sen- ate signals discomfort with Trump’s approach to for- eign policy. Four Republi- cans joined most Democrats in supporting the amend- ment, but it faces steep resis- tance from the White House and the Pentagon wrote a let- ter opposing it. Trump’s approach to the standoff with Iran and his assertion earlier this week that he doesn’t need congressional approval to engage militarily has only sparked fresh ques- tions and hardened views in Congress. Trump tweeted last week that the U.S. came within minutes of striking Iran in response to its shooting down of an unmanned U.S. drone until he told the military to stand down. He said he was concerned over an Iranian casualty count estimated at 150. “We’ve been keeping Con- gress abreast of what we’re doing ... and I think it’s some- thing they appreciate,” Trump told The Hill website. “I do like keeping them abreast, but I don’t have to do it legally.” As the popular Defense bill was making its way through the Senate, Dem- ocrats vowed to hold back their support unless McCon- nell agreed to debate the war powers. The defense bill was roundly approved Thursday on a vote of 86-8. Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer of New York assembled his caucus earlier this week. In a series of closed-door meetings he argued that Congress had ceded too much authority to presidents of both parties, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the pri- vate sessions. Schumer said the amendment would pro- hibit funds to be used for hos- tilities with Iran without the OK of Congress. Schumer also said that the American people are wor- ried that U.S. and Iran are on a dangerous collision course and that even though Trump campaigned on not wanting to get the U.S. embroiled in wars he “may bumble us into one.” “It is high time that Con- gress re-establishes itself as this nation’s decider of war and peace,” Schumer said on the Senate fl oor. To counter the Democrats’ effort, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah pushed for- ward an alternative to Udall’s amendment that reaffi rmed the U.S. can defend itself and respond to any attacks. But Romney said his version is not an authorization to use force against Iran. Supreme Court keeps citizenship House sends Trump $4.6B border bill question off 2020 census, for now Associated Press WASHINGTON — In a surprising move, the Supreme Court on Thursday kept the Trump administration from adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census for now, and the question’s opponents say there’s no time to revisit the issue before next week’s scheduled start to the printing of census forms. But President Donald Trump said on Twitter after the decision that he’s asked lawyers if they can “delay the Census, no matter how long” until the “United States Supreme Court is given addi- tional information from which it can make a fi nal and deci- sive decision” on the issue. Under federal law the cen- sus must begin on April 1, 2020. A former director of the Census Bureau said he believed Congress would have to change the law for the count to be delayed. The issue of whether to add the citizenship question to the census is a politically charged one. Democratic cities and states who oppose adding it argue that they’d get less fed- eral money and fewer repre- sentatives in Congress if the question is asked because it would discourage the partici- pation of minorities, primarily Hispanics, who tend to sup- port Democrats. During arguments in the case at the Supreme Court in April, it seemed as though the Trump administration would win because Chief Justice John Roberts and other conserva- tives appointed by Republican presidents did not appear to see anything wrong with Com- merce Secretary Wilbur Ross’ decision to add the question. Ultimately, however, Roberts joined the court’s four more liberal members in saying the administration’s current justifi - cation for the question “seems to have been contrived.” The Trump administra- tion had said the question was being added to aid in enforce- ment of the Voting Rights Act, which protects minority vot- ers’ access to the ballot box. But the Justice Department had never previously sought a citizenship question in the 54-year history of the land- mark voting rights law. “Altogether, the evidence tells a story that does not match the explanation the sec- retary gave for his decision,” Roberts wrote. Justice Clarence Thomas said in dissent that “the court’s erroneous decision...unjustifi - ably interferes with the 2020 census.” Trump’s two appoin- tees, Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, joined Thomas’ opinion. Justice Samuel Alito wrote separately in partial dissent. What will happen next is unclear. The decision came on the last day the court was issu- ing opinions before a summer break. Justices defer on partisan gerrymandering WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court ruled Thurs- day that partisan gerryman- dering of congressional and legislative districts is none of its business, a decision that leaves state offi cials free from federal court challenges to their plans to shape districts to blatantly help their parties. The court’s conservative majority, including the two justices appointed by Presi- dent Donald Trump, prevailed in a 5-4 ruling that dealt a huge blow to efforts to combat the redrawing of district lines to benefi t a particular party. The decision has no effect on racial gerrymander- ing challenges. Courts have barred redistricting aimed at reducing the political repre- sentation of racial minorities for a half-century. But the outcome brings an immediate halt to lawsuits that sought to rein in the most par- tisan districting plans that can result when one party controls a state’s legislature and gover- nor’s offi ce. In the short term, Republi- cans are the prime benefi cia- ries of the ruling. They made dramatic political gains in the 2010 election just before the last round of redistricting, so they have controlled the pro- cess in many states. Demo- cratic voters had persuaded lower courts to strike down districting plans in Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Wisconsin. The one Repub- lican suit came in Maryland, against a single congressional district. Redistricting will next take place in 2021, once 2020 cen- sus results are available. Chief Justice John Rob- erts wrote the majority opin- ion. Although he often seeks broader coalitions for rela- tively narrow decisions, he ended up writing a sweeping redistricting opinion that drew an impassioned dissent from the liberal justices. Voters and elected offi - cials should be the arbiters of what is a political dispute, Roberts said in his opinion for the court. Federal courts are the wrong place to settle these disputes, he said. The court rejected chal- lenges to Republican-drawn congressional districts in North Carolina and a Demo- cratic district in Maryland. In a dissent for the four liberals, Justice Elena Kagan wrote, “For the fi rst time ever, this court refuses to rem- edy a constitutional viola- tion because it thinks the task beyond judicial capabilities.” Court to rule on ‘dreamers’ program WASHINGTON — Add- ing a high-stakes immigra- tion case to its election-year agenda, the Supreme Court said Friday it will decide whether President Don- ald Trump can terminate an Obama-era program shield- ing young migrants from deportation. The justices’ order sets up legal arguments for late fall or early winter, with a deci- sion likely by June 2020 as Trump campaigns for re-elec- tion. The president ordered an end to the program known as DACA in 2017, sparking protests and a congressional effort to salvage it. That effort failed, but fed- eral courts in California, New York, Virginia and Washing- ton, D.C., have blocked him from ending it immediately. A federal judge in Texas has declared the program is ille- gal, but refused to order it halted. The program — Deferred Action for Childhood Arriv- als — protects about 700,000 people, known as dreamers, who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families that overstayed visas. The DACA protections seem certain to remain in effect at least until the high court issues its decision. By ANDREW TAYLOR and ALAN FRAM Associated Press WASHINGTON — The Democratic-controlled House voted Thursday to send President Donald Trump a bipartisan, Sen- ate-drafted, $4.6 billion mea- sure to care for migrant refu- gees detained at the southern border, capping a Washing- ton skirmish in which die- hard liberals came out on the losing end in a battle with the White House, the GOP- held Senate and Democratic moderates. The emergency legisla- tion, required to ease over- crowded, often harsh con- ditions at U.S. holding facilities for migrants seek- ing asylum, mostly from Central American nations like Honduras and El Sal- vador, passed by a biparti- san 305-102 vote. Trump has indicated he’ll sign it into law. “A great job done by all!” Trump tweeted from his overseas trip. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., reluctantly brought the Senate bill to a vote by after her plan to further strengthen rules for treatment of migrant ref- ugees ran into intractable opposition from Republican lawmakers and Vice Pres- ident Mike Pence. Many moderate Democrats split with Pelosi as well, under- cutting her earlier efforts, which faded shortly after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he would swiftly reject them. The legislation con- tains more than $1 billion to shelter and feed migrants detained by the border patrol and almost $3 billion to care for unaccompanied migrant children who are turned over the Department of Health and Human Ser- vices. It rejects an adminis- tration request for additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention beds, however, and contains pro- visions designed to prevent federal immigration agents from going after immigrants living in the country ille- gally who seek to care for unaccompanied children. The Clatsop County Fair July 29 - Aug 3 10am - 10pm Adults $5 | 12 & Under $3 | Parking $2 TUES: FREE Hog Roast • 4pm FRI: Midland Concert, gates open 6pm SAT: Demolition Derby •11am WANTED Alder and Maple Saw Logs & Standing Timber Northwest Hardwoods • Longview, WA Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500 Fresh ripe, juicy sTRAWBERRIES Available Now! Monday - Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Watch for us at the corner of Marlin & 101 at Fast Lube in Warrenton. 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