JUDY WOODRUFF: President Trump
is being challenged tonight on
both sides of the U.S. Capitol.

First to the House of
Representatives and the
battle over the border
between the United States and

Mexico.

Majority Democrats
pushed a resolution this
evening to terminate
the president's national

emergency declaration.

It came after arguments over
Mr. Trump's plan to divert
other government funds in order

to build a southern border wall.

REP.

TOM MALINOWSKI (D), New
Jersey: The Emergencies Act
is for genuine emergencies.

It is not a get out of
the Constitution free
card for presidents
who want something that

Congress won't give them.

REP.

JODEY ARRINGTON (R),
Texas: I will be voting
today for our president,
for his constitutional

legal authority to defend
this country, to protect our
borders and our citizens.

I will be voting for the safety
of the American people today and
the safety for our communities

not just in West Texas, but
throughout this country.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The resolution
will now go after the House
to the Senate, where the focus

today was President
Trump's former personal
attorney Michael Cohen.

He testified in a closed
session with the Senate
Intelligence Committee.

Tomorrow, he testifies publicly
at a House oversight hearing.

Late today, Florida Congressman
Matt Gaetz tweeted a warning
to Cohen, saying his wife

is about to learn a lot about
-- quote -- "your girlfriend."

Later, Gaetz insisted
that he wasn't engaging
in witness intimidation.

Our own Lisa Desjardins has been
keeping track of this entire
swirl of news today on Capitol

Hill.

It doesn't get any
busier than this, Lisa.

Let's start by talking about
the emergency declaration.

They have been talking
about it in the House.

They're about to vote.

What have you been hearing?

LISA DESJARDINS: I'm
watching my phone.

That vote should
happen any minute.

This is that vote which
would terminate this
emergency declaration,
and Congress does have

that power.

This is the first step in trying
to block that declaration.

It is believed this will pass.

And it will pass easily.

The question is, how
many Republicans will
be on board, Judy?

And many Republicans are
having a very difficult
time with this issue.

I spoke to one, Tom Massie of
Kentucky, who said he is now
going with Democrats and saying

that he thinks this is an
overreach by the president.

However, I talked to another,
freshman Denver Riggleman of
Virginia, who said he walked

in this morning he too
would agree with Democrats,
then received a briefing
about the situation

at the border, and after that
briefing he felt that it was
enough of a crisis that he

is struggling, but he is now
going to vote with the president
in trying to keep the emergency

declaration going.

This is important because
ultimately we think two-thirds
of the members of the House will

have to agree in order to
actually override a likely veto.

JUDY WOODRUFF: A likely
presidential veto.

So all but certain
it passes the House.

LISA DESJARDINS: Yes.

JUDY WOODRUFF: What
about in the Senate?

LISA DESJARDINS: That's
an interesting question,
because, right now, of
course, there are 47

Democrats who are planning
to vote to try and terminate
this emergency declaration.

That means four Republicans are
needed to go alongside with them
to just pass this resolution.

Right now, Judy, we have three
Republicans who say they agree
with Democrats, Susan Collins

of Maine, Thom Tillis
of North Carolina, Lisa
Murkowski of Alaska.

Those last two, Senators Tillis
and Murkowski, Judy, their two
states have some of the largest

number of projects, military
construction projects, which
the president could freeze,

take money from, in
order to build his wall.

They also say they have
constitutional objections
largely to what the
president is doing.

So we think that it is likely
another Republican will
probably side with them.

I spoke to eight
Republicans today who are
- - who are deciding.

But Vice President Pence was
in the Senate today trying to
tell Republicans, side with

the president, keep this
emergency declaration going.

We don't know when
that vote will be.

Our Saher Khan got information
from Republicans that
it may be in two weeks.

It could be sooner.

We're not sure.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Not right away.

But it looks like it's at
least delayed for a few days.

LISA DESJARDINS: They have
some choices to make on that.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So, now
let me ask you about
the other big thing, the
story that everybody's

watching.

And that is the president's
former personal attorney
Michael Cohen went behind closed

doors talking to the Senate
Intelligence Committee.

The information
has trickled out.

And now we have this tweet that
has gotten everybody's attention
from the Florida congressman.

What do we know about him?

LISA DESJARDINS: Right.

Right.

Matt Gaetz is seen as
one of the president's
strongest allies in Congress.

He's a conservative firebrand.

He also, importantly,
Judy, sits on the House
Judiciary Committee.

That's not the committee that is
meeting with Mr. Cohen tomorrow.

However, it is the
committee where impeachment
proceedings would begin.

And Matt Gaetz is seen as
someone who would be one of the
most ardent defenders of the

president, should impeachment
proceedings happen.

Judy, more importantly, I think
what's happening here is we're
seeing what Republicans will

do tomorrow when Mr.
Cohen testifies publicly.

They are going to assail him as
an witness with no credibility.

And as much as the
Democrats ask questions
about the president's
activity, Republicans

will be going after Mr.
Cohen about his personal
life, as we have seen today.

And also it's interesting to
see, is this a threat against
Mr. Cohen by a member of

Congress?

That's still being debated.

JUDY WOODRUFF: So, again,
that's the House Oversight
Committee where he's going to be

testifying tomorrow in public.

LISA DESJARDINS: Tomorrow.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Cameras will be
there, but we don't know what
he -- what more he's likely

to say, do we?

LISA DESJARDINS: We do have
some reporting, thanks to
our great Yamiche Alcindor.

She's speaking to a source
close to Cohen who tells her
that -- in fact confirms other

reports -- that Mr.
Cohen will speak to
what he sees as criminal
activity by the president,

that he will also talk
about the president saying
racist statements to him.

And, indeed, he will speak,
Yamiche is told, to financial
statements from the president.

These are all very
serious allegations.

So I think we have two
things happening, one,
an intense political
atmosphere where we see

both sides ready to perhaps
exaggerate what's happening.

And then we have very serious
dramatic testimony that
may not need exaggeration.

And it's going to be very
difficult and have to be very
careful in figuring out how to

weigh all of this in a
very frenzied atmosphere.

It could be quite
circus-like tomorrow.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Very -- enormous
attention on what Mr. Cohen is
going to be saying tomorrow,

and, of course, all this
while the president's
out of the country.

Lisa, thank you very much.