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| Trump Signs Spending Bill, Reversing Veto Threat and Avoiding Government Shutdown | Trump Signs Spending Bill, Reversing Veto Threat and Avoiding Government Shutdown |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill into law on Friday, avoiding a government shutdown that had suddenly become a possibility when the president vented angrily on Twitter about his frustration with the bipartisan legislation. | WASHINGTON — President Trump signed a $1.3 trillion spending bill into law on Friday, avoiding a government shutdown that had suddenly become a possibility when the president vented angrily on Twitter about his frustration with the bipartisan legislation. |
| The president abruptly backed down from a Friday morning threat to veto the spending bill in a head-spinning four hours at the White House that left both political parties in Washington reeling and his own aides bewildered about Mr. Trump’s contradictory actions. | The president abruptly backed down from a Friday morning threat to veto the spending bill in a head-spinning four hours at the White House that left both political parties in Washington reeling and his own aides bewildered about Mr. Trump’s contradictory actions. |
| Speaking at the White House, Mr. Trump placed his hand on a stack of budget documents and criticized what he called “this ridiculous situation” — but he said the spending plan was important because it increased money for the military. “As a matter of national security, I have signed this omnibus budget bill,” he said. | Speaking at the White House, Mr. Trump placed his hand on a stack of budget documents and criticized what he called “this ridiculous situation” — but he said the spending plan was important because it increased money for the military. “As a matter of national security, I have signed this omnibus budget bill,” he said. |
| In a rambling and disjointed 20-minute statement from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Mr. Trump denigrated the bill, which was rushed through the House and the Senate by members of his own Republican Party, as “crazy” and vowed to never “sign another bill like this again.” | In a rambling and disjointed 20-minute statement from the Diplomatic Reception Room, Mr. Trump denigrated the bill, which was rushed through the House and the Senate by members of his own Republican Party, as “crazy” and vowed to never “sign another bill like this again.” |
| “Nobody read it,” Mr. Trump said of the sweeping funding measure drawn up by Republican leaders in the House and the Senate. Echoing criticism from those who voted against the measure, Mr. Trump added, “It’s only hours old.” | “Nobody read it,” Mr. Trump said of the sweeping funding measure drawn up by Republican leaders in the House and the Senate. Echoing criticism from those who voted against the measure, Mr. Trump added, “It’s only hours old.” |
| He urged lawmakers to avoid passage of another so-called omnibus bill and to instead pass legislation giving him a line-item veto of spending measures, something that has little support in Congress. He also called on the Senate to eliminate filibusters. | He urged lawmakers to avoid passage of another so-called omnibus bill and to instead pass legislation giving him a line-item veto of spending measures, something that has little support in Congress. He also called on the Senate to eliminate filibusters. |
| “I looked very seriously at the veto,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I was thinking about doing the veto.” | “I looked very seriously at the veto,” Mr. Trump told reporters. “I was thinking about doing the veto.” |
| He also repeatedly vented about Democrats, accusing them of abandoning efforts to protect young immigrants and saying to DACA recipients, “The Republicans are with you.” He also accused Democrats of standing in “tremendous” opposition to a strong military in the United States. | He also repeatedly vented about Democrats, accusing them of abandoning efforts to protect young immigrants and saying to DACA recipients, “The Republicans are with you.” He also accused Democrats of standing in “tremendous” opposition to a strong military in the United States. |
| And Mr. Trump said that Democrats had insisted on domestic spending that he called “bad” or “a waste of money.” | And Mr. Trump said that Democrats had insisted on domestic spending that he called “bad” or “a waste of money.” |
| Yet the president said he signed the spending measure because it includes hundreds of billions of dollars in military spending to ensure that the United States has “by far the strongest military in the world.” | Yet the president said he signed the spending measure because it includes hundreds of billions of dollars in military spending to ensure that the United States has “by far the strongest military in the world.” |
| “We had no choice but to fund our military,” Mr. Trump declared, after at one point reading out loud a series of military programs in the spending bill, including submarines, missile defense systems, tanks, helicopters and warships. | “We had no choice but to fund our military,” Mr. Trump declared, after at one point reading out loud a series of military programs in the spending bill, including submarines, missile defense systems, tanks, helicopters and warships. |
| Early Friday morning, the president had tweeted his displeasure with the bill, citing Congress’s failure to fund his long-promised border wall. | Early Friday morning, the president had tweeted his displeasure with the bill, citing Congress’s failure to fund his long-promised border wall. |
| “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,” Mr. Trump posted on Twitter in a message that imperiled a sweeping bipartisan agreement brokered by congressional leaders over his reservations. | “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,” Mr. Trump posted on Twitter in a message that imperiled a sweeping bipartisan agreement brokered by congressional leaders over his reservations. |
| He was referring partly to the fact that he failed to reach a deal with Democrats to include provisions in the spending measure that would preserve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, an Obama-era program that Mr. Trump rescinded last fall. The program allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to apply for permits to work legally and avoid deportation. | He was referring partly to the fact that he failed to reach a deal with Democrats to include provisions in the spending measure that would preserve Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, an Obama-era program that Mr. Trump rescinded last fall. The program allows undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to apply for permits to work legally and avoid deportation. |
| But the president was most angry about the lack of funding in the bill for an enormous wall across the nation’s southern border that he has billed as the centerpiece of his crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The measure includes nearly $1.6 billion for border security, including new technology and repairs to existing barriers — but not Mr. Trump’s wall, as he claimed on Twitter on Wednesday. It provides $641 million for about 33 miles of fencing, but prohibits building a concrete structure or other prototypes the president has considered, and allocates the rest of the funding for new aircraft, sensors and surveillance technology. | But the president was most angry about the lack of funding in the bill for an enormous wall across the nation’s southern border that he has billed as the centerpiece of his crackdown on undocumented immigrants. The measure includes nearly $1.6 billion for border security, including new technology and repairs to existing barriers — but not Mr. Trump’s wall, as he claimed on Twitter on Wednesday. It provides $641 million for about 33 miles of fencing, but prohibits building a concrete structure or other prototypes the president has considered, and allocates the rest of the funding for new aircraft, sensors and surveillance technology. |
| In his remarks later in the afternoon on Friday, Mr. Trump expressed disappointment and said he was “not happy” that the spending bill did not allocate the full $25 billion that the administration had requested for the wall. | In his remarks later in the afternoon on Friday, Mr. Trump expressed disappointment and said he was “not happy” that the spending bill did not allocate the full $25 billion that the administration had requested for the wall. |
| But at times he seemed optimistic, saying that $1.6 billion “does start the wall” and promising to “make that $1.6 billion go very, very far.” | |
| The morning threat of a veto on the spending bill was the latest instance of the president parting ways with his advisers in a sudden reversal that could have had serious consequences. The measure cleared Congress early Friday morning and, while Mr. Trump had made plain he was unhappy with some aspects of it, his senior advisers spent Thursday telling reporters that the president would sign it. | The morning threat of a veto on the spending bill was the latest instance of the president parting ways with his advisers in a sudden reversal that could have had serious consequences. The measure cleared Congress early Friday morning and, while Mr. Trump had made plain he was unhappy with some aspects of it, his senior advisers spent Thursday telling reporters that the president would sign it. |
| The threat — and the reversal — produced political whiplash that was reflected in Mr. Trump’s own comments. At times, he seemed to direct blame for the spending bill on Republican lawmakers. But later, he praised them for doing their best in a tough situation. | The threat — and the reversal — produced political whiplash that was reflected in Mr. Trump’s own comments. At times, he seemed to direct blame for the spending bill on Republican lawmakers. But later, he praised them for doing their best in a tough situation. |
| “I just want to thank members of Congress for working so hard,” he said. “There are a lot of strings pulling everyone in different directions.” | “I just want to thank members of Congress for working so hard,” he said. “There are a lot of strings pulling everyone in different directions.” |
| A veto would have almost certainly shut down the government at midnight, just as hundreds of thousands of teenagers and adults are scheduled to descend on Washington for a gun control march. With Congress on spring recess for two weeks starting Monday, many lawmakers had already departed Washington early Friday. Some were on their way out of the country as part of official congressional delegations. | A veto would have almost certainly shut down the government at midnight, just as hundreds of thousands of teenagers and adults are scheduled to descend on Washington for a gun control march. With Congress on spring recess for two weeks starting Monday, many lawmakers had already departed Washington early Friday. Some were on their way out of the country as part of official congressional delegations. |
| Beyond the practical risks, the optics of the last-minute presidential outburst held peril for Mr. Trump. Unlike recent government shutdowns that stemmed from Congress’s inability to pass spending bills, this one would be precipitated by the president alone. In 1995 and 1996, vetoes of spending bills by President Bill Clinton shuttered the government temporarily, but in those cases, Mr. Clinton had the support of his party’s leaders in Congress, who objected to deep cuts to Medicare and conservative policy changes inserted into the spending bills. | Beyond the practical risks, the optics of the last-minute presidential outburst held peril for Mr. Trump. Unlike recent government shutdowns that stemmed from Congress’s inability to pass spending bills, this one would be precipitated by the president alone. In 1995 and 1996, vetoes of spending bills by President Bill Clinton shuttered the government temporarily, but in those cases, Mr. Clinton had the support of his party’s leaders in Congress, who objected to deep cuts to Medicare and conservative policy changes inserted into the spending bills. |
| If Mr. Trump had rejected the new spending bill, he would have defied Republican and Democratic leaders alike. | If Mr. Trump had rejected the new spending bill, he would have defied Republican and Democratic leaders alike. |
| The president’s apparent change of heart in the morning came as a surprise but hardly a shock to Republican leaders, who spent much of a snowy Wednesday privately imploring an agitated Mr. Trump to put aside his objections and back the measure, claiming it as a win. | The president’s apparent change of heart in the morning came as a surprise but hardly a shock to Republican leaders, who spent much of a snowy Wednesday privately imploring an agitated Mr. Trump to put aside his objections and back the measure, claiming it as a win. |
| That proved difficult for the president, and not only because of the dearth of wall funding. The measure itself dealt a broad rebuke to his vision for reordering the size and scope of government, rebuffing his efforts to gut many domestic programs even as it provided the sizable military spending increase that Mr. Trump wanted. | That proved difficult for the president, and not only because of the dearth of wall funding. The measure itself dealt a broad rebuke to his vision for reordering the size and scope of government, rebuffing his efforts to gut many domestic programs even as it provided the sizable military spending increase that Mr. Trump wanted. |
| Sensing a political advantage, Democrats were unperturbed by the tweet. Top Democratic aides said on Friday morning that they would not make concessions to Mr. Trump if he chose to veto the bill. | Sensing a political advantage, Democrats were unperturbed by the tweet. Top Democratic aides said on Friday morning that they would not make concessions to Mr. Trump if he chose to veto the bill. |
| Mr. Trump said on Friday afternoon that it was Democrats who had balked at including an extension of DACA in the spending bill, claiming that Republicans wanted to protect immigrants from deportation but were blocked by Democrats. | Mr. Trump said on Friday afternoon that it was Democrats who had balked at including an extension of DACA in the spending bill, claiming that Republicans wanted to protect immigrants from deportation but were blocked by Democrats. |
| “We wanted to include DACA. We wanted to have them in this bill,” Mr. Trump said, adding: “The Democrats would not do it. They would not do it.” | “We wanted to include DACA. We wanted to have them in this bill,” Mr. Trump said, adding: “The Democrats would not do it. They would not do it.” |
| In fact, over the weekend, the White House offered to extend protections for hundreds of thousands of current DACA recipients for two and a half years, with no guarantee beyond that time, in exchange for $25 billion for the border wall, according to congressional aides. | In fact, over the weekend, the White House offered to extend protections for hundreds of thousands of current DACA recipients for two and a half years, with no guarantee beyond that time, in exchange for $25 billion for the border wall, according to congressional aides. |
| Democrats countered by saying they would agree to the full $25 billion only if the president agreed to a pathway to citizenship for a much broader population of young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, well over a million people — a deal that was similar to an earlier offer from Mr. Trump. | Democrats countered by saying they would agree to the full $25 billion only if the president agreed to a pathway to citizenship for a much broader population of young immigrants brought to the country illegally as children, well over a million people — a deal that was similar to an earlier offer from Mr. Trump. |
| The White House rejected the Democratic offer. | The White House rejected the Democratic offer. |