Posted on 03/22/2018 3:33:57 AM PDT by SkyPilot
Congressional leaders finalized a sweeping $1.3 trillion budget bill Wednesday that substantially boosts military and domestic spending but leaves behind young immigrant “Dreamers,” deprives President Donald Trump some of his border wall money and takes only incremental steps to address gun violence.
As negotiators stumbled toward an end-of-the-week deadline to fund the government or face a federal shutdown, House Speaker Paul Ryan dashed to the White House amid concerns Trump’s support was wavering. The White House later said the president backed the legislation, even as some conservative Republicans balked at the size of the spending increases and the rush to pass the bill.
Talks continued into Wednesday evening before the 2,232-page text was finally released.
“No bill of this size is perfect,” Ryan said. “But this legislation addresses important priorities and makes us stronger at home and abroad.”
Leaders still hoped to start voting as soon as Thursday. A stopgap measure may be needed to ensure federal offices aren’t hit with a partial shutdown at midnight Friday when funding for the government expires.
Negotiators have been working for days — and nights — on details of the bill, which is widely viewed as the last major piece of legislation likely to move through Congress in this election year. Lawmakers in both parties sought to attach their top priorities.
Two of the biggest remaining issues had been border wall funds and a legislative response to gun violence after the clamor for action following recent school shootings, including the one in Parkland, Florida.
On guns, leaders tentatively agreed to tuck in bipartisan provisions to bolster school safety funds and improve compliance with the criminal background check system for firearm purchases. The bill states that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention can do research on gun violence...
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
Donald J. Trump
Verified account
@realDonaldTrump
9h9 hours ago
Got $1.6 Billion to start Wall on Southern Border, rest will be forthcoming. Most importantly, got $700 Billion to rebuild our Military, $716 Billion next year...most ever. Had to waste money on Dem giveaways in order to take care of military pay increase and new equipment.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/976654851684945920
I’ve given up hope. No matter who we “elect”, no matter how much we howl, the liars, thieves and perverts do what THEY want. We’ve lost our country and all of us share the blame.
There is no saving, no cleaning, no draining and no savior to change what our government has become. AND it is only going to get WORSE. There is NO ONE in Versailles on the Potomac worth saving except President Trump. But when do we go to his aid?
Trump has the veto pen so in this case he does have a “dictatorial” move. The fact that he is accepting this hugh win for Pelosi and Schumer is my snap point. Stop using the “he is only one guy” excuse. Veto this budget and let Congress override. That is a win.
They are turning the reigns over to the Democrats. It’s obvious.
“I think they are bribed and bought off,”..........
Why do you think the DNC just applied for $6+ million? I suspect some of that money will land in a few repubs coffers. (Trust no one!)
Contact your worthless GOP congressman TODAY and tell him to vote NO on this budget or you will stay home in November. To fund Planned Parenthood and not the border wall should be conservatives RED LINE. We didn’t vote for a Republican House and Senate to fund Pelosi’s and Schumer’s pet projects instead of the President’s wall.(See Schumer’s Gateway boondoggle.)
Is it really that easy? What about all of the ensuing sound bites blaming the President for the fact that we still don’t have a budget, despite the constitutional mandate to do so? And then if the Congress continues to send poison pill budgets, knowing that he will veto them and give them more fodder to attack him, knowing the media will amplify their message and suppress anything he has to say?
The Congresscritters are purposely putting him into a no win situation. Don’t blame him for it. Or do you think you could do better? If so, how would *you* force congresscritters to adhere to the Constitution and do the will of the people?
The Swamp is not going to be easy to drain, nor will the process be fast. And it will fight tooth and nail every step of the way. I truly see Trump as our best chance to prevail; if too many give up on him, it’s hello socialist dictatorship and the end of the US. We will not see freedom again in our lifetimes if he fails—which he will, if too many people take your attitude.
Stood beside Trump on a lot of things, but Trump better not sign this POS bill.......there will be repercussions, bet.
“But No Wall Funding”...........
Per Trump’s tweet..”Got $1.6 Billion to start Wall on Southern Border, rest will be forthcoming”.....
twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/976654851684945920.......
OK, which is it?
Ask Trump, how much did idiot Chuck Schumer get for the NYC/NJ tunnel again? !!!!!!!
you calculate that more voters will stay home if the gov’t shuts down than if this budget is signed.
I don’t think the difference is large enough to matter.
It’s irrelevant how I would do it. I didn’t ask for the job.
When you are going down the wrong path it is better to turn around sooner rather than later.
“Got $1.6 Billion to start Wall on Southern Border,”
BS this is money to repair existing wall. Not 1 inch of new wall. We are not stupid, I don’t like being lied to President Trump. The baby killers got thier funding. Paul Ryan is a piece of shit and he’s to blame but don’t try shuck us Mr. President.
I am so PISSED at the GOPe right now. Worse, they’re giving the House over to the Dems, so voting against them is what they WANT.
I’m trusting that the President managed to pull the best deal he could, and probably has something in mind to fund the wall—maybe military spending?
But after this, I think Imma take a break from politics for a few weeks before this gives me a heart attack.
If Trump doesn’t veto this, he is a fraud.
At least not a new wall as Trump envisions it. They can build new barriers as long as they are the same as the existing fences.
Agreed.
I agree that these two scoundrels need to be fired, and that this budget is a Communist’s wet dream. But no one is forcing the President to SIGN it. I blame him too!
As are enough Congress Critters to have made Ryan and McConnell their leaders.
A sovereign debt crisis in the making.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.