Trump threatens to Veto and later signs US largest military budget

The $1.3 trillion spending bill President Donald J. Trump signed includes the largest military budget in history, reversing years of decline and unpredictable funding, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said at the White House.

“Together, we are going to make our military stronger than ever,” Mattis said in a news conference today, flanked by Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross, and Department of Homeland Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

“We in the military are humbled and grateful to the American people for their sacrifices on behalf of this funding,” Mattis said. “Now it's our responsibility in the military to spend every dollar wisely in order to keep the trust and the confidence of the American people and the Congress.”

Trump hailed the spending measure, saying it funds the strongest military in the world, as well as troop increases and the largest pay raise in more than a decade for service members.

However, Trump told the reporters “I was thinking about doing the veto,” Trump told reporters. “But because of the incredible gains that we’ve been able to make for the military, that overrode any of our thinking.”

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

Keeping America Safe

“My highest duty is to keep America safe. Nothing more important,” Trump said according to the US Defense Department.

The spending bill also includes, Trump explained, funding for the “final fight in certain areas,” pointing to the liberation of nearly all of the territory once held by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

The bill, which Congress passed hours earlier, funds the government for the fiscal year 2018 and includes $700 billion for defense spending.

Trump said that defense funding contained in the bill is an increase of more than $60 billion from last year. It funds the addition of critically needed ships, planes, helicopters, tanks, and submarines, he pointed out.

“Our military is very depleted, but it's rapidly getting better. And in a short period of time it will be stronger than it has ever been,” Trump said.

According to the US media, Trump had asked $25 billion to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border; the spending bill provides a $1.6 billion down payment to begin construction. Trump followed up with a tweet proclaiming, “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

Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., criticizing Trump's decision saying, “Unfortunately, this spending bill is not a product that represents everybody. It’s a product written by a few politicians who got in a room and decided how to spend a trillion dollars.”  In a written statement, he said, “The result is a massive spending package projected to increase the federal debt by another trillion dollars. This is no way to fund the federal government. While this bill provides our military with more funding, it does not provide them with more certainty in the long-term.”

Republican Sen. Bob Corker from Tennessee termed the action as "totally irresponsible".

Please do, Mr. President. I am just down the street and will bring you a pen. The spending levels without any offsets are grotesque, throwing all of our children under the bus. Totally irresponsible. https://t.co/np7BmP1AkB

— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) March 23, 2018