Because of a court ruling, not on their own. I know you know that.
Not on their own? Did a chief justice hold a gun to their heads? Could they not have simply repealed the law? Could they not have written an entirely new statute? Were they not an inexhaustible number of potential remedies for a bad piece of legislation?
The court interpreted the 76 Act in a way that disqualified one mechanism. Congress chose, and created legislation, to amend the Act in the way it felt was proper. Congress in its 85 legislation CHOSE to require 2/3rds vote to rebuke a Presidential Emergency Declaration...it was not required to make such a law by the court, nor was it directed or ordered to do so.
A wiser congress might have rewritten the whole thing...but the rule of law is absolute. Once legislation is passed into law as was the 1985 amendment, unless it be deemed unconstitutional, its strictures and requirements ARE the law. And the President is obligated to follow that law...and that is precisely what he is doing. Congress, as well, is obligated to follow existing law.
12 GOP Senators, cowards all, just voted against the rule of current law simply because they are either RINO's, personally dislike the President, or have calculated their vote to be politically advantageous...none of them should be credited with taking a position on principle. Because, principle dictates that everyone follow the tenets of the law in question...amendments included.