Complete Story
 

12/20/2018

Trump Refuses to Sign Short-term Continuing Resolution

His refusal comes as lawmakers ignore border wall funding request

House leaders who met with President Donald Trump today said he will not sign a seven-week stopgap spending measure that does not include additional funding for a border wall.

On Dec. 19, 2018, the Senate approved a bill to fund the government through Feb. 8, moving a step closer to averting a partial government shutdown at the end of this week. However, conservative Republicans have been urging Trump to veto the bill. Speaker Paul Ryan said after a meeting at the White House earlier today that Trump does not support the stopgap bill.

“The president informed us he will not sign the bill that came from the Senate last evening because of his legitimate concerns for border security,” Ryan told reporters. “So what we’re going to do is go back to the House and work with our members.”

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) admitted that the stopgap spending bill would likely have cleared the House with Democratic support but said he has been “strongly encouraging” Trump to veto the measure.

“I just think that the vast majority of the Trump voters believe that he campaigned on building the wall,” Meadows said.

The stopgap spending bill would have continued funding for several government agencies, including Homeland Security, at fiscal 2018 levels. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declared support for the short-term package last night, which would have set up another negotiation early next year when Pelosi is expected to take over the House majority as speaker.

This article was provided to OSAE by the Power of A and ASAE's Inroads.

Printer-Friendly Version