While the House continues to add amendments to their $733 billion
military spending bill, aimed at limiting the administration from making
unilateral foreign policy moves, the White House is now “strongly
objecting” to it.
White House officials issued a statement warning that if the House version was what was submitted to them for the military spending bill, President Trump would veto it. That would be a serious challenge to Congress exercising limits on the foreign policy.
In particular, the House bill forbids transfers of new detainees to
Guantanamo Bay, and provides no funding for tactical nuclear weapons.
The White House objects to both, but can Trump just veto around it?
That’s less clear. While Trump has vetoed other legislation on foreign
policy, a spending bill still needs to ultimately be passed, and this
would be a battle of who blinks first, or if Congress can override a
veto outright.
Well he cannot lin veto, and if there is no money bill then there can be no money spent, yay no Iranian war!
Maybe they can convince Bibi to pay or it…
Maybe that is Congress’s plan. Send up a spending bill that Trump will not sign. Thus no more money for America’s wars…
They somehow spend even without money.
Careful. Reagan bypassed Congress, sold cocaine in Inner Cities and missiles to Iran, to finance illegal wars. Republicans think having Gawd on their side gives them a free pass.
In a fuzzy, warm world the veto would be for the ridiculous amount of $733 billion and not about the asinine reasons that are given. We are f**ked. It’s only a matter of time.
Just my opinion, but I believe we’ve been “f**ked” since Nov 2016.
Maybe more so but it certainly wasn’t the beginning.
Dunno how Hillary Epstein would have been better. She’d have done whatever Israel wanted.
Perhaps with a little more dignity? …or respect for the office or the American people…perhaps? He doesn’t even attempt to mask his disdain for your basic American citizen.
Won’t argue with your last statement though.
Watching the USA operate in the world is like watching a slow-motion train wreck. “The Leader” is intent on marching us right over a cliff. Not enough tactical nukes, indeed. Don’t worry, Donald, there’s enough “black money” in the budget to buy you and Satanyahu all the toys you want. Once you start flinging those nukes around the crazy Christian Zionists like Pence and Pompeo will start creaming in their jeans and you’ll be re-elected sure as Pete. Of course the world will be a shambles and not fit for human habitation, but they’ll all be raptured up to heaven, so who cares.
Many “Christian Zionists” simply believe they’re to serve Israel. They don’t know more than that. You overestimate people. Most people work, take care of kids, or waste their lives. They don’t think beyond, “Well, I heard I’m to serve Israel.” Most do not think or at least don’t think along that topic.
Luchorpan,
There is no reward for logical thinking in Christianity, let alone in Christian Zionism. The rewards are all for those who slavishly obey and accept without proof. Once, as a Sunday School teacher, I was given the book of Joshua to teach. I asked the class the rhetorical question as to why God favored genocide in that case. The preacher, who was sitting in, started screaming at me – yelling that all of the Philistines deserved to die – just as Israel was under orders from God to kill all Palestinians. Needless to say, I walked out of that church – never to return. In my opinion, only about 10% of the Christian population deserves to be considered as actually “Christian”.
Richard,
That’s why I’ve become Anglican. I’d even consider East Orthodox, but there really isn’t an American branch. The Evangelicals are just nuts. And I’m not “liberal” as is associated with Anglicans.
One thing I loath is the worship of the “Founders” who were largely not the best Christians.
It seems to me a sign of sociopathy when a person is willing to justify horrible things. I might justify Israel’s conquest of Palestine as two people both wanting the same lands, but I would never pretend it is Christian or sanctioned by God. And by “justify”, I obviously don’t mean I support the genocide. I look at it from realpolitik, so to speak. My hope was Trump could keep Israel happy by promising things in exchange for peace with Syria and Iran: clearly that didn’t happen.
It doesn’t ‘need to ultimately be passed’! Nothing could be better than Trump vetoing it and Congress being unable to pass an alternative overriding the veto. Maybe that mountain of $100 bills would actually get spent on something useful and life-affirming. Probably not, but there’s a chance.
Imagine the outcry of “not supporting the troops”. It would be deafening and would come from both sides of the aisle. One way or another they’ll get the money eventually.
They’ve “supported” over 2K Americans to their graves in Afghanistan alone.
It’s so unpatriotic of you not to want to increase that number further. Look at all that’s been accomplished!
Probably eventually, yes. But the harder everyone digs in their heels the better: I want new nukes! (Trump) vs We want to stop Trump from attacking Iran without our say-so (Congress). This could fundamentally change the narrative to: Why is our foreign policy so stupid and do we really need such extravagant toys to implement it? They’d spend a lot more on the VA if they cared a bit about the troops.
Promise?
Why does Trump value the military so? He ran on spending on the US instead, then gets elected only to put the military first…
Tactical nukes might, in the right context, be wonderful. But much of the military seems unnecessary. Defend the US! That’s all they’re needed for. Like Switzerland.
He did also run on promising to rebuild the military that Obama was leaving in shambles and said he was the most militaristic candidate running.
Well, he can “rebuild” without spending more. Just spend better.
“$174 billion in overseas contingency operations for DoD to fight the Islamic State group.”
That can easily be cut. Also: Hire fewer people, close bases, audit the DoD, etc. And even the DoD seems to want certain cuts, though Congress won’t allow it.
Some of the other expenditures seem justifiable, though likely overpriced. I think I like the Space Force, assuming it doesn’t start a world war.
Except of course Obama’s budgets had record military spending themselves.
Right. Trump was greatly exaggerating our situation to justify spending even more.
I’m pretty sure the constitution says the president can declare war anywhere he wants, and if congress disagrees, he can veto them.
I’m pretty sure you’re an idiot.
A veto of the bill will be the best August gift ever!