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Comments on the Spending Bill from Big Al and Jim McKinney

Big Al
March 23, 2018

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Donald Trump Signs Spending Bill After Threatening to Veto It

The $1.3 trillion measure passed Congress this week

President Trump speaks about the spending bill during a White House news conference on Friday. There are ‘a lot of things I’m unhappy about in this bill,’ he said.
President Trump speaks about the spending bill during a White House news conference on Friday. There are ‘a lot of things I’m unhappy about in this bill,’ he said. PHOTO:NICHOLAS KAMM/AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/GETTY IMAGES

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump on Friday signed a sweeping $1.3 trillion bill funding the U.S. government until October, hours after threatening to veto it over dissatisfaction with its immigration provisions.

The bill passed the House on Thursday and the Senate early Friday. Most lawmakers then left Washington for a two-week recess, operating under the assumption that he would sign the bill before the government’s funding expires at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.

“As a matter of a national security, I’ve signed this omnibus budget bill,” Mr. Trump said, before quickly adding that there were “a lot of things I’m unhappy about in this bill.”

Mr. Trump criticized Congress for passing the spending package without leaving enough time to read the plan before funding expires at the end of the day.

“I say to Congress—I will never sign another bill like this again,” Mr. Trump said.

In a tweet earlier Friday, Mr. Trump cited his unhappiness with the amount of funding for his proposed wall on the border with Mexico, and he faulted Democrats for the fact that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which former President Barack Obama established and which the president ended last year, wasn’t addressed.

“I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defense, is not fully funded,” Mr. Trump tweeted.

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During protracted negotiations in recent months, Mr. Trump rejected offers by Democrats to pair $25 billion for a border wall and related expenses with a path to citizenship for people eligible for the DACA program. Protecting the young immigrants was a Democratic priority, but the party’s lawmakers have been unwilling to accede to Trump demands for other changes in the immigration system.

With no agreement reached, the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by the House on Thursday and the Senate early Friday morning didn’t include an extension of DACA. The Obama-era program shielded from deportation undocumented immigrants brought to the country at a young age, often called Dreamers, and allows them temporarily to work legally in the U.S.

When Mr. Trump ended the program in September, he gave Congress until March 5 to pass a replacement before large numbers of people lost protections. But a federal court has ordered that the administration continue the program for now, and the Supreme Court has declined to expedite its hearing of the government’s appeal, lessening the urgency for lawmakers to agree on a fix.

Lawmakers from both parties on Friday urged Mr. Trump to drop his veto threat and sign the bill, the product of weeks of intense bipartisan negotiations.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, the Senate GOP whip, noted in a tweet to Mr. Trump that the spending bill’s benefits “to national security, border security, opioid crisis, infrastructure, school safety and fixing gun background check system are important and will save lives.”

“Pres. Trump needs to drop his wildly reckless veto threats and sign the #Omnibus bill right now,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) said in a tweet Friday. “Americans deserve leadership from the White House, not more self-inflicted chaos.”

But some conservatives cheered Mr. Trump on, encouraging him to abandon a bill they said provided too little funding for the border wall and too much funding for the rest of the government.

Some Democrats, meanwhile, had also opposed the spending bill because it didn’t include an extension of the DACA program.

“I could not support the government funding bill because it fails to address the uncertainty and fear Dreamers live with every day,” Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) said in a statement Friday morning. “President Trump unilaterally rescinded DACA and has since rejected every single bipartisan proposal that would solve the problem he created.”

The spending bill includes $1.57 billion for construction of physical barriers on the border with Mexico and other security measures. Mr. Trump won funding for 33 miles of new fencing on the Texas border—about half of what he requested. He also got funding for 60 miles of replacement or secondary fencing. That was more than Mr. Trump asked for but is also far less controversial.

“It does a lot of what we wanted,” Mr. Mulvaney said Thursday.

Democrats won a number of concessions in the spending bill, particularly regarding immigration enforcement inside the U.S. The bill also specified that the new border construction must use designs now in use, which rules out a solid concrete wall.

Some conservatives, upset that the bill didn’t include more funding for the wall, had urged Mr. Trump earlier in the week to veto the bill. Mr. Ryan on Thursday defended the bill’s border-security funding, saying it gave Mr. Trump a “down payment” on building the wall.

Discussion
70 Comments
    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:02 PM

    Pork, pork, pork.

    Trump sold the country.
    I feared he would not try to control spending.
    He was elected as the better option of two not great choices.
    I take little solace in that, since the unindicted criminal Hillary probably could not have managed to get such a big spending bill through Congress.

    Clearlt Trump never read the fine print in the bill.

    It funds many, many, many liberal and marxist causes, while feeding the military industrial complex.

    Pork, pork, pork.

    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:04 PM

    Oops. Clearly not clearlt.

    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:06 PM

    It is time to resurrect the Tea Party.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:07 PM

      Call the IRS first…………

        Mar 23, 2018 23:10 PM

        I think that you mean “threaten!, OOTB

      Mar 23, 2018 23:09 PM

      Not going to happen CFS.

      I, pesnally, still have faith in Trump. Time will prove me right or wrong!

        Mar 23, 2018 23:11 PM

        I will be back to you all this evening.

        Stay sane!

    Mar 23, 2018 23:12 PM

    Let’s hope a portion of the military spending goes to good use and crushes our “domestic enemies “. Trump better drain the swamp soon or he will loose his base. We the People are sick and tired of the Marxist shadow government. It’s also safe to call 70% of the current house and senate, Marxist.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:14 PM

      Been saying for years…….The entire congress needs to go….especially anyone that has served more than two terms.

        Mar 23, 2018 23:50 PM

        I completely agree, Jerry, that thre should be term limits for sure!

      Mar 23, 2018 23:18 PM

      Remember Roman History…….the Praetorian Guard always got their money….. 🙂

      Reply to this comment
      On March 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm,
      OOTB Jerry says:
      Saying he was “unhappy” with the bill, the president explained that while the bill isn’t perfect, it includes several “hard-fought” defense spending increases (the largest on record) which push the defense budget to $700BN, and a pay-hike for the troops.

        Mar 23, 2018 23:54 PM

        OOTB, how do you feel about significant defense spending? After the Obama cuts, I am personally for them.

        I do; however, hate to see the money go to the Middle East. That is not our fight and never will be!

        I completely agree with Ron Paul and, to an extent with Moriarty.

          Mar 23, 2018 23:22 PM

          Hello Owl,…..
          Concerning military spending as to the total percentage of the budget…..there is no way that the military budget should be at 54% ….The congress, has gotten rich on military.
          Since, or before WW2, …..A certain group, I will call them the Illuminate for no better term, has made war a Business….and the financing of same, with the burden going to the public WE THE PEOPLE, WIthout our consent, I might add.
          I Just finished a series, which I have posted below covering some important fact, pertaining to WAR and the MIC. I use to think IKE was a great general….not so anymore, considering he starved a Million Germans. Carpet bombing Hamburg , torching the civilians is murder.
          It, seems that we have been taken over by a bunch of THUGS for PROFIT. Any Christian should be ashamed to have participated and approved of such action, and particularly at the uncovering of such events.
          The Light has been shown on these events, as It is written ….All will be exposed by the Light.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:50 PM

      I think that Marxist is a lbit of an exageration.

      No doubt, Chartster that some mistakes are being made. And, you, I and most other Americans are living with them. I would not call Trump and his team Marxists. If any Marxists, in fact exist, they are part of the swamp.

        Mar 23, 2018 23:10 PM

        Al,
        Donald Trump is opposite of Marxist. I was talking about the SES and most of congress.

    Mar 23, 2018 23:22 PM

    I have a feeling Trump’s next approval rating is going to take a hit.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:24 PM

      If, he Locks Hilly UP……….it will sky rocket to the moon…….. 🙂

      Mar 23, 2018 23:57 PM

      Doc, you could be correct, but I would personally bet against it. I believe that people are getting used to him and that, in the end, he will prevail. I really believe that. The opposition is aiming their heavy artilery on him and, at least so far, he is doing just fine.

      YOu agree or disagree?

        GH
        Mar 24, 2018 24:16 AM

        Unfortunately, his opposition is a fake front instigated by enemies of America.

        A real opposition to Trump would put spotlights on him in the public eye vis-a-vis Wall Street, Zionism, and the Military Industrial Complex.

        Wall Street, Zionism, and MIC: 3 of the biggest monkeys on Americans’ and the Worlds’ backs.

    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:24 PM

    Trump even funded global warming protagonists in this bill.
    He increased funding for planned parenthood.
    Increased funding for NPR-National “progressives” Radio.

    Unbelievable.

    Trump just lost most of his base…..they just won’t vote next time. Disgusted at the breaking of so many of his promises.
    Only indicting and trials of many of the corrupt swamp creatures might save this administration now.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:25 PM

      Planned parenthood………not good…….that really is going against the grain,,,,,

      Mar 23, 2018 23:26 PM

      Agree with you on the trials of the swamp creatures…….

      Mar 23, 2018 23:01 PM

      So then Professor, what do you make of this?

      There is a familiar hiccup in the ongoing negotiations for a long-term government spending bill: federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

      Politico revealed on Wednesday that House Republicans are insisting on fully defunding the women’s health organization — long vilified by conservatives because some of its clinics perform abortions — in the spending package that lawmakers need to pass before March 23.

      From Jennifer Haberkorn and Sarah Ferris:

      The riders would cut off federal funding to Planned Parenthood, eliminate a federal family planning program and ax the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, according to sources on Capitol Hill. Republicans also want to insert a new prohibition on funding research that uses human fetal tissue obtained after an abortion.

      The proposal actually goes further than previous GOP attempts to defund Planned Parenthood, Politico noted. Previously, Republicans just wanted to cut off Medicaid dollars used for cancer screenings and other routine health care for the group (federal law already prohibits direct funding of abortion under the Hyde Amendment). This latest proposal would block Medicaid and several other federal funding sources, a full cutoff of federal dollars going to the organization.

        CFS
        Mar 23, 2018 23:09 PM

        To the best of my knowledge no funding was cut.
        It may be true that some Republicans wanted some cuts.

        I am busy wading through the actual act at this time; over 2,200 pages.
        I prefer always to seek original text, before making final comments.
        Politico does not have a great reputation, in my book, for not lying by omission.

    Mar 23, 2018 23:30 PM

    John Bolton ! Is Beck ! The (( Iran )) Game is Coming !!!! Dis is SO Superficial it’s Embarrassing JIM ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz5fZziMWEE

    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:33 PM

    Trump’s policy reversal is so massive, something does not feel right.

    I wonder if Mueller found something?

    Something has changed.

    http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/372233-nunes-memo-raises-question-did-fbi-violate-woods-procedures

    Mar 23, 2018 23:58 PM

    Everyone across America is fuming mad at the government. I’ve never seen it like this before. Even the mild tempered people are fuming mad. Something about this vibe is as real as it gets. The people are wanting to see arrests. At this stage of the game, it’s time for Trump to throw a few touchdowns.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:05 PM

      Yep…………..

      Mar 23, 2018 23:19 PM

      I would agree, but I do have to say that at this moment, I think that the spending billl is an interception. HOw about you?

    Mar 23, 2018 23:26 PM

    All of this injected money will bring inflation on a huge scale, interest rates will be forced higher and down comes the stock market. Credit cards are maxed out here, the other stimulant stock market speculation is over. Millions of people I’m sure were buying goods with money which represented a gamble on business profits increasing, it was fun while it lasted but this just can’t go on much longer, and to boot a trade war with China is developing. I can no longer see a soft landing Houston but I do hear Crash, Boom, Bang.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:58 PM

      This spending bill is the black Swan event that will end the dominance of The American dollar. Trump caved, it’s easy to see that the waiting game is all that is left, pull the plug on Uncle Sam his heart has given out. DT

    Mar 23, 2018 23:52 PM

    Just more fun
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K851g5g3diM
    Old news to some…..but, I just like to report….

      Mar 23, 2018 23:07 PM

      Really interesting…..IBM,GM, IKE, Ashkinazi ,

        Mar 23, 2018 23:17 PM

        If, Trump would listen to this…….there would be no Military Budget Increase.
        War is a racket ……

    Mar 23, 2018 23:21 PM
    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:05 PM

    I blame Ryan and McConnell (as well Trump) for the over-spending.

    Had the President vetoed the bill , he would have been praised for beginning draining the Swamp.
    But he (the President) made an error in judgement. I wonder if he realizes the enormity of his error. I know some conservatives believe that Trump wants to destroy the current US money system so that a new system can arise from the ashes, but I don’t think that is true. Trump’s track record is simply that he has been an over-spender most of his life, and simply does not understand the ultimate consequences of his lack of controlling government spending. I feel sorry for future generations of Americans, we should have left them a better country.

      Mar 23, 2018 23:42 PM

      NEOCONS………Ryan and McConnell……..bad news…….

        Mar 23, 2018 23:15 PM

        Who in there right mind, could approve of a $1.3 Trillion Budget, …If, they had the best interest of the American People in their minds…….How do they continue putting , WE THE PEOPLE in DEBT BONDAGE……….only those who GAIN in the PROCESS.

      CFS
      Mar 23, 2018 23:44 PM

      The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department Thursday for records connected to the FBI’s 2016 investigation of Hillary Clinton — as well as the internal report that led to the ouster of former FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe.

      Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) revealed the subpoenas Thursday afternoon, citing a frustratingly slow pace of cooperation from the department.

      “Given the Department’s ongoing delays in producing these documents, I am left with no choice but to issue the enclosed subpoena to compel production of these documents,” Goodlatte wrote in a letter to DOJ.

      It’s the latest signal of escalating tension between GOP lawmakers and the Justice Department, which have clashed in recent weeks over the release of a House Intelligence Committee memo accusing top FBI officials of misconduct and sparred over access to sensitive intelligence documents.

      The new subpoena from Goodlatte encompasses thousands of records gathered by Inspector General Michael Horowitz in his investigation of the FBI’s handling of the 2016 investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server. But Goodlatte said he views the recent firing of McCabe as an extension of the initial request, since McCabe’s firing was connected to his role in the Clinton probe.

    Mar 23, 2018 23:40 PM

    Art of The Squeal. Guess Trump is pretty good at spending other people’s $$$$

    Mar 23, 2018 23:08 PM

    Why does the US spend so much money on ‘defence’ the increase in the latest US defence budget is more than the whole Russian defence budget for a year, just seems like utter madness to me

      Mar 23, 2018 23:44 PM

      Because that is how the congress and the group , rape the american public….
      MIC military Industrial congress complex……been that way before WW2….

    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:54 PM

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opAdGt4gOi8

    Stefan Molyneux on Trump’s betrayal of the next generations.

    CFS
    Mar 23, 2018 23:15 PM
    Mar 23, 2018 23:33 PM

    Zucherberg–Shmuckerberg–Shumerberg’s tunnel of love