President Donald Trump threatened on Twitter Friday morning to veto the omnibus spending bill when it arrives on his desk. The bill must be passed and signed by midnight Friday in order to avoid another government shutdown.
Trump cited the lack of border wall funding and DACA legislation as a leading reason for the possible veto. The spending package would include $641 million to fund 33 miles of border fencing, but specified that the fence could not be made out of concrete. Trump has said he wants $25 billion for a wall, and estimated that it would have to cover around 1,000 miles of the border between the United States and Mexico.
On Dec. 29, Trump tweeted that he would not accept any DACA legislation "without the desperately needed WALL at the Southern Border" and other immigration reforms. DACA, which stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, protects the children of illegal immigrants from deportation.
Before the tweet, the Trump administration insisted that a veto would not happen. On March 22, Mick Mulvaney, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, assured reporters at a White House press conference that Trump “looks forward to signing” the omnibus bill. "Let's cut right to the chase: Is the President going to sign the bill? The answer is yes."
The $1.3 trillion spending bill passed the House 256-167 and the Senate 65-32.
Trump tweeted at 8:55 a.m. ET on Friday: “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.”
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
Half an hour earlier, Trump tweeted: “DACA was abandoned by the Democrats. Very unfair to them! Would have been tied to desperately needed Wall.”
DACA was abandoned by the Democrats. Very unfair to them! Would have been tied to desperately needed Wall.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2018
