Wednesday evening the text of the over two-thousand page, monetarily massive omnibus spending bill funding over $1 trillion dollars in government spending was released.
Conservative House Freedom Caucus members opposing the legislation have issued a letter calling for President Trump to oppose it as well.
The letter, viewable in this tweet from Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), asserts that the spending bill betrays the will of many of the voters who elected Republicans to the legislature.
“The policy proposals outlined in this $1.3 trillion spending bill are in stark contrast to the commitments that we, along with the vast majority of our Republican colleagues, made to the American people during the last election,” the letter says.
Mentioning specific issues with the bill’s contents, the letter notes that Planned Parenthood funding will continue: “The bill fully funds grants that will go to Planned Parenthood.”
The letter also says that the funding for border protections is insufficient and will not bring to fruition what the voters were promised: “This bill does not provide adequate funding for border security. $1.5 billion will be minimally effective in delivering not just our promise, but your promise, to build a wall and keep our country secure.”
And something else that will surely frustrate conservative voters: “Sanctuary cities also continue to receive federal funds.”
The letter also asserts that the bill fails to advance the attack on Obamacare:
“The bill does nothing to further our promise to provide Americans relief from Obamacare. We must continue to reduce burdensome regulations in the healthcare marketplace, return to free market principles, and empower consumers. This bill fails on all three fronts.”
The document also attacks the legislation, saying that, “The bill includes the ‘Fix NICS’ proposal, which provides a pathway for unelected, unaccountable bureaucrats to revoke, without due process, the rights of American citizens to keep and bear arms.”
“The American people elected us not to buckle, but to deliver,” the letter declares.
Rep. Justin Amash succinctly summed it up Wednesday evening: “One bill. 2,232 pages of big government.”
On Wednesday evening The Hill reported that some in the Freedom Caucus had plans to introduce amendments to alter the bill.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul (R) brought a measure of levity to the situation, tweeting a comical condemnation, “a pox,” upon the whole of Congress including Democrats and Republicans:
“Shame, shame. A pox on both Houses - and parties. $1.3 trillion. Busts budget caps. 2200 pages, with just hours to try to read it.”
He also pointed out that the voluminous text is so lengthy that even after two hours it hadn’t fully printed yet: “FYI- The 2200+ page, budget-busting Omnibus has been printing for two hours in my office and still isn’t done.”
For his part, President Trump appears poised to place his signature on the bill if it passes through the House and Senate. Wednesday evening he tweeted the following:
“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.”