President Donald Trump signed a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill Friday, even as he slammed large parts of it as well as the process that saw it arrive at his desk.
Trump had left the outcome of whether he would sign the bill needed to continue funding the federal government in doubt, right until he appeared before reporters at the White House Friday afternoon. Although he ultimately put pen to paper, stating he only did so for reasons of "national security," he made sure everyone knew how unhappy he was in doing so.
"There are a lot of things that I'm unhappy about in this bill," he said. "There are a lot of things that we shouldn't have had in this bill but we were in a sense forced if we want to build our military, we were forced to have. There are some things that we should have in the bill. But I say to Congress that I will never sign another bill like this again. I'm not going to do it again. Nobody read it, it's only hours old."
JUST IN: President Trump announces he is signing the $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress this week despite misgivings because he wants to "take care of our military.”
— CNN (@CNN) March 23, 2018
Trump warned Congress: “I will never sign another bill like this again.” https://t.co/oCMuKedwhP pic.twitter.com/V65UIPtmFJ
Trump's comments came just hours after he tweeted the possibility that he could veto the bill.
"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," he said.
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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2018
The bill will fund the federal government through September after passing the Senate by a vote of 65-32 on Thursday. It includes funds for Trump's plan to tackle the opioid epidemic as well as money for the military and $21 billion advocated for infrastructure projects.
It did not, though, do anything to address the fate of some 800,000 so-called "Dreamers," who were brought to the United States illegally as minors. And, although it provides $1.6 billion for border security, the money will go toward existing fencing structures and not come close to the $25 billion the president reportedly requested.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jason Le Miere is from the British island of Jersey, which has absolutely no relation to the Garden State, other than ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
