President Donald Trump was urged to veto the omnibus spending bill by a group of GOP House members, who said it is an example of a “massive take-it-or-leave-it bill” that is now commonplace in Washington.
In a letter to the president signed by 14 Republicans, they called on Trump to veto the bill, claiming that the bill was “negotiated behind closed doors” and greatly expands the size of the federal government.
“This bill continues to pile massive amounts of debt on top of the $27.5 trillion we already have,” they wrote. The letter was signed off by Reps. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Jody Hice (R-Ga.), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz), and more.
“Particularly at a time when our federal government is spending trillions of dollars on an emergency basis, we should be doing the hard work of finding offsetting savings elsewhere. Instead of making any good faith effort to find savings, this omnibus bill spends every penny on the existing—but elevated multiple times over—budget caps that were enacted before the coronavirus epidemic. Your veto will send a resounding message to both Republicans and Democrats in Congress to negotiate better budgets for the American people,” they added.
They also said the bill contains provisions that support longstanding policies to fund a school system “that is failing to educate our children,” fund states with “broken” election systems, underfunds border security measures, and will “continue war without so much as a debate much less a vote,” among other provisions, according to the lawmakers.
“This bill promises to be even larger, exemplifying everything that is wrong with the swamp politics of Washington, D.C.,” the group of conservative lawmakers wrote.
The letter was first reported by Fox News on Thursday morning.
The lawmakers noted that Trump, in 2018, said in public remarks that he “would never sign another bill like this again” after signing an omnibus spending bill into law.
“Our country will be better off if you veto this omnibus appropriations bill for fiscal year 2021,” they added.
Earlier this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters that a deal is getting closer to reality.
“We’re making significant progress and I’m optimistic that we’re gonna be able to complete an understanding sometime soon,” the Kentucky Republican said. “Everybody wants to get a final agreement as soon as possible. We all believe the country needs it. And I think we’re getting closer and closer.”
Both McConnell and Pelosi have said that both chambers of Congress won’t leave for their scheduled recess until the omnibus spending bill is finished. They also promised to pass a CCP virus stimulus bill.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters that “I think we’ve built a lot of trust. I think we’re moving in the right direction. I think there’s a possibility of getting it done. So we’re finalizing out to see if it’s possible.” It came after he met with Pelosi, McConnell, and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), the Senate’s minority leader, on the same day.