For the first time in history, the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday voted to block an emergency declaration by the president of the United States.

In a 245-182 vote, the House passed a resolution that would overturn President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration related to security and building physical barriers on the nation’s southern border. The resolution still has yet to be voted on by the Senate, and the margin in the House was not nearly wide enough to survive a probable veto by Trump, even if the resolution did pass the upper chamber.

Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-7) voted for the resolution, while all of Alabama’s Republican representatives backed the president’s action.

Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-3), Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-4) and Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-5) spoke against the resolution on the House floor before the vote, while Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-1) released a statement afterward saying, “It is very disappointing that Democrats are so committed to attacking our President that they are refusing to support commonsense border security measures, like building a wall.”

“There is no doubt the situation at the southern border is a national emergency, and I support President Trump doing everything in his power to keep the American people safe,” Byrne added.

Rogers, the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, used his speech to emphasize that unprecedented demographic changes are creating a humanitarian crisis at the U.S. – Mexico border.

“[S]mugglers tell vulnerable families that a child is like their ‘visa’ to stay in the U.S. even if they turn themselves in to Border Patrol. The smugglers’ propaganda is working,” Rogers advised. “These changing migrant flows force our law enforcement officers to act as paramedics, rather than enforcing the laws that Congress has passed.”

Rogers’ speech, as prepared for delivery, as follows:

Without a doubt, there is a crisis at the border. Changing demographics have created unprecedented challenges for the Border Patrol.

In the early 2000s, most illegal border crossers were young Mexican men. Our laws allowed us to quickly return them back to Mexico. Today that flow of Mexican men has been replaced with a mix of men, women, and children from Central American countries. Human traffickers are exploiting the loopholes in our laws and understand that our immigration system is broken.

These smugglers tell vulnerable families that a child is like their “visa” to stay in the US even if they turn themselves in to Border Patrol. The smugglers’ propaganda is working.

Family apprehensions for Fiscal Year 2019 are already 572 percent higher than Fiscal Year 2013.

These traffickers do not care about the people they smuggle.

The result is that immigrants of all ages are arriving on our doorstep in terrible health. Border Patrol projects a 133 percent increase in migrants needing medical treatment after crossing the border over last year.

These changing migrant flows force our law enforcement officers to act as paramedics, rather than enforcing the laws that Congress has passed.

We need an “all-of the-above” approach to border security that includes manpower, 21st century technology, and barriers. With this approach, we will deter human smugglers and others from crossing hundreds of miles of open desert with innocent children.

We know this approach works. In areas where we have built a wall system, such as Yuma, illegal traffic has plummeted by 95 percent.

Let’s build on this success. I encourage my colleagues to stand by President Trump’s decision to use executive authority to carry out this approach and keep America safe.

Then, in his speech, Aderholt said, “I think it is very clear that there is a national emergency that exists on the southern border because of the high rate of unchecked, unregulated illegal immigration.”

He explained that illegal immigration is “directly contributing” to the flow of drugs, human trafficking victims and violent gang members into the United States.

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Brooks used his speech to both support Trump’s border security national emergency declaration and condemn the border policies of “Socialist Democrats.”

In a statement, Brooks emphasized, “Frankly, it is time open-borders Socialist Democrats stop putting the interests of illegal aliens over those of American citizens. It is tragic Socialist Democrats don’t care for American lives as much as President Trump does. The hatred and hostility Socialist Democrats harbor for President Trump, who is trying to protect American lives, is beyond the pale.”

He also challenged Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) to vote to support the emergency declaration, adding that he was confident Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) would do so. Shelby has previously expressed his belief that Trump was well within his rights to declare a national emergency over the issue of border security.

Brooks’ speech, as prepared, as follows:

Mr. Speaker, in FY 2018, more than 2,000 illegal aliens were apprehended by federal agents for homicides committed on American soil.

Worse yet, roughly 31,000 Americans die each year from heroin and cocaine overdoses, 90% of which floods across America’s porous southern border.

Hence, we can expect at least 33,000 dead Americans each year until America secures our porous southern border.

For perspective, the 9/11 terrorist attacks killed roughly 3,000 people. In response, America invaded Iraq and Afghanistan at a cost trillions of dollars and roughly seven thousand lost military personnel lives!

Saving Americans should be a bipartisan issue. Yet, here we are. Republicans seek to prevent another 33,000 dead Americans this year while partisan Democrats seek to embarrass and stop President Trump from securing America’s porous southern border and saving American lives.

For emphasis, no, no national emergency in history has been prompted by more dead Americans than President Trump’s national emergency declaration. As such, I support President Trump’s national emergency declaration and will vote accordingly.

Mr. Speaker, how many dead Americans does it take for open border advocates to support border security?
How much American blood must be on guilty hands before Congress recognizes the national emergency we face at America’s southern border?

America’s military protects the borders of, and lives in, South Korea, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Europe, and many other countries.

I thank President Trump, as commander-in chief, for understanding that America, and Americans, deserve no less protection!

Mr. Speaker, let me conclude by noting that dead Americans, Americans killed by illegal aliens and as a consequence of porous borders, had dreams too! And, we as a Congress, should remember and honor those dreams and act accordingly, and protect this national emergency to protect American lives by securing our porous southern border.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back.

Sean Ross is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn