$1.3 Trillion GOP Budget Approves Just 33 Miles of New Border Barriers
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a $1.3 trillion dollar spending bill that was approved Thursday, even though it provides funding for just 33 miles of his promised border wall.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill Thursday and sent it to the Senate prior to the looming midnight Friday deadline to avoid another government shutdown.
Although the bill to fund the government through Sept. 30 passed, 90 of the 238 House Republicans voted against it, Reuters reported, many of them concerned what the implications of it would be on the midterm elections.
The spending bill is predicted to increase budget deficits of over $800 billion for this year.
“This omnibus doesn’t just forget the promises we made to votes — it flatly rejects them,” Rep. Mark Meadows said after the vote. “This is wrong. This is not the limited conservatism our voters demand.”
Additionally, the new bill does not give Trump all the funding he wanted for the wall he had promised during his campaign.
He tweeted, “Got $1.6 Billion to start Wall on Southern Border, rest will be forthcoming.”
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.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2018
Democrats refused to take care of DACA. Would have been so easy, but they just didn’t care. I had to fight for Military and start of Wall.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 22, 2018
White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney added that the new bill does not include everything that they wanted in the new budget.
“Did we get everything we wanted when it comes to immigration? Absolutely not,” he said to reporters, according to the U.K. Daily Mail.
The bill that funds the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year includes $641 million for new border fencing and $1.3 billion for border security, USA Today reported.
Mulvaney, however, emphasized that this was just the beginning of the funding for the border wall because the White House has “already submitted budgets for 2019.”
Eight different models for the border wall were constructed outside the city of San Diego and tested at the end of January.
If the test results are any indication, whichever model is ultimately chosen will make illegal passage through the U.S. southern border nearly impossible, according to Fox News.
“We certainly continue to ask for additional funding to continue the wall throughout this year,” he said. “This is for six months because Congress has been unable to complete the appropriations process.”
If this bill is passed and signed by the president, months of intense arguing over spending priorities between Democrats and Republicans would end.
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