Donald Trump signs ‘ridiculous’ US$1.3 trillion spending bill after threatening veto and government shut down
Trump said he wanted to veto the bill for not agreeing to his demands for a border wall and protections for certain immigrants, but had signed it anyway to provide funding for the military
US President Donald Trump has signed the US$1.3 trillion spending bill that passed through the House and Senate on Thursday after threatening to veto it over concerns over “Dreamer” immigrants and a lack of funding for his Mexico border wall.
Trump called the formation of the 2,232-page bill a “ridiculous situation”, blaming Democrats for holding back on military spending and not agreeing to his terms for Dreamers.
He also vowed never to sign a similar bill, complaining that it was too large, too complex and under-read by those passing the laws through Congress.
“I say to Congress I will never sign a bill like this again – I won’t do it again,” Trump said. “Nobody read it, it’s hours old.”
Trump said that the bill provides a US$1.6 billion “initial down payment” for his promised border wall, building new sections and replacing old ones across 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the border.
That’s much less than the US$25 billion he wants, but he said the permitted work would begin “literally on Monday.” “This is a short term funding, but it’s immediate,” he said.