This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-43505059
The article has changed 13 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 6 | Version 7 |
---|---|
Trump drops threat to veto $1.3tn budget but vows: 'Never again' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
US President Donald Trump has signed a $1.3tn (£921bn) package to fund the government until September, vowing never to enact such a bill again. | |
Hours earlier, the president threatened to veto the bill over its lack of full funding for his border wall. | |
Congress passed the measure to avert what would have been the third shutdown of the US government this year. | |
But many of the president's fellow Republicans railed against the measure, one calling it "monstrous". | |
The spending bill needed Mr Trump's signature by a Friday midnight deadline to keep the federal agencies operating. | |
The president had raised concerns about the package, which keeps the government funded until 30 September, in a Friday morning tweet. | |
But in a restricted-access news conference in the afternoon he said that despite the "ridiculous" process of passing the measure he would sign it because of its large increase in military spending. | |
"There's a lot of things I'm unhappy about in this bill," he said, even though it was cleared by a Congress controlled by his own party. | |
He added: "I will never sign a bill like this again - nobody read it." | |
Mr Trump also told reporters: "I looked very seriously at the veto, but because of the incredible gains we've been able to make for the military that over-rode any of our thinking." | |
The vote in the Senate early on Friday caps weeks of haggling over a number of key issues dividing lawmakers. | The vote in the Senate early on Friday caps weeks of haggling over a number of key issues dividing lawmakers. |
What about the Dreamers? | What about the Dreamers? |
The bill does not address the fate of young immigrants brought illegally to the US by their parents, a group who were protected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme until President Trump ended it in September. | |
The Daca programme had protected roughly 700,000 immigrants known as "Dreamers". A deal on Daca was not included in the spending bill because Republicans and Democrats could not agree a trade-off. | The Daca programme had protected roughly 700,000 immigrants known as "Dreamers". A deal on Daca was not included in the spending bill because Republicans and Democrats could not agree a trade-off. |
The White House and Republicans offered Democrats a two-and-a-half or three-year Daca extension in return for including the $25bn that Mr Trump wanted for the wall, reports say. | |
Democrats are reported to have said they would accept that, but only if a path to citizenship was created for all the 1.8 million people eligible for Daca. | |
The White House rejected this and came back with another proposal, but ultimately nothing was agreed. | |
In Friday's news conference, Mr Trump said: "I do want the Hispanic community to know that Republicans are much more on your side than the Democrats who are using you for this purpose. | |
"The Democrats did not want Daca in this bill." | |
'The Wall' | 'The Wall' |
Republican Paul Ryan celebrated the package on Thursday as a means to enact President Trump's policy positions. | Republican Paul Ryan celebrated the package on Thursday as a means to enact President Trump's policy positions. |
"This bill starts construction on the wall," he told reporters in a news conference on Capitol Hill. | "This bill starts construction on the wall," he told reporters in a news conference on Capitol Hill. |
"It funds our war on opioids. It invests in infrastructure. It funds school safety and mental health," he continued. | "It funds our war on opioids. It invests in infrastructure. It funds school safety and mental health," he continued. |
It provides $1.6bn in funding for Mr Trump's border wall, far short of the $25bn the White House had sought. | It provides $1.6bn in funding for Mr Trump's border wall, far short of the $25bn the White House had sought. |
What has reaction been? | What has reaction been? |
House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi cheered the bill on Thursday as "a tremendous victory for the American people". | House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi cheered the bill on Thursday as "a tremendous victory for the American people". |
"If you want to think you're getting a wall, just think it and sign the bill," she said, in a remark aimed at Mr Trump's Republican supporters in Congress. | "If you want to think you're getting a wall, just think it and sign the bill," she said, in a remark aimed at Mr Trump's Republican supporters in Congress. |
But despite cross-party support, at least 90 conservative Republicans voted against it, calling the budget government spending run amok. | But despite cross-party support, at least 90 conservative Republicans voted against it, calling the budget government spending run amok. |
Representative Mark Meadows, head of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, told Mr Trump that he would have the support of the group, | Representative Mark Meadows, head of the hardline House Freedom Caucus, told Mr Trump that he would have the support of the group, |
Republican Senator Bob Corker tweeted that he would bring Mr Trump a pen to sign the veto. | Republican Senator Bob Corker tweeted that he would bring Mr Trump a pen to sign the veto. |
Fellow Republican Rand Paul, who briefly shut down the government earlier this year by rejecting a bill, agreed Mr Trump "should veto this sad excuse for legislation". | |
He also argued lawmakers were not allowed enough time to read it. |