Trump’s signing of the omnibus bill was brilliant, and I am not sure if the ruling class will survive it. He manipulated Congress into releasing billions in “discretionary funding,” which gives him broad powers to fund and defund as he wishes.
Yes, I know there are things in the omnibus bill that we don’t want; that’s why they call it an “omnibus.” The 1.6 billion for the wall was a joke, and the added insult of $2 billion for “school safety” fooled no one. Giving Planned Parenthood $500 million was a total surrender by the Republican leadership and gave voice to those seeking the removal of GOP leadership. And not penalizing sanctuary cities looked like a total Republican endorsement of illegal immigration and like it would encourage more illegal sanctuary cities. That is how it worked B.T. – “Before Trump”!
Congress, not the president, is in charge of all federal funding. However, the president has the ability to direct that spending, which is “discretionary,” or money not required by law to be spent. So all the panic over this bill is based on the fear that Trump would spend the discretionary funds the way Congress wants him to. That’s how it worked, “Before Trump.”
The federal government must pay for mandatory social programs like Social Security and Medicare. But discretionary funding pays for the Department of Energy, HUD, Education, Defense and State. The president enjoys broad powers to determine how, or even if, discretionary funds are spent.
The old trick in Washington is to fill a bill with things the president wants along with things he’d never approve separately. So for the president to get the things he wants, he has to accept items he doesn’t want. Not only does this process fund liberal pet projects, it also gives the left campaign ammunition against the president.
That’s when the media proclaims Trump turned on his base and he was never a conservative. This is how it normally worked in the swamp. But Trump is not a normal president. He accepted the bill full of waste and support for Democratic/liberal causes, and then he “TRUMPED” them.
The first hint of Trump’s brilliant plan came in a tweet just a few hours after he signed the bill. On March 25, 2018, Trump tweeted: “Building a great Border Wall, with drugs (poison) and enemy combatants pouring into our Country, it’s all about National Defense. Build WALL through M!” Trump will use the military to build the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, and the swamp in Congress just fully funded it.
Trump believes the greatest threats to the U.S. are North Korea, China and Russia. Their greatest allies are in Congress, surrendering the power and wealth of America to the world through unfair trade. So Trump signed the omnibus bill with strong military funding and will use the discretion of the presidency to defend America against all enemies, foreign and especially those domestic ones.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the premier construction organization in the world. It can build, maintain and establish projects anywhere and under any circumstances. It is engaged in more than 130 countries. The military responds to national disasters like hurricane, fires and other national disasters. If it can build roads, buildings and schools in Iraq and a border wall between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the south Texas and San Diego County deserts will be no problem for them.
Trump simply maneuvered around the planned delays of the left. By declaring a national emergency, he can get around environmental delays and use the military to accelerate the wall-building process. Democrats know they need to delay the wall construction to give themselves a campaign issue and try to convince Trump’s base that he failed to deliver for them. Trump can’t afford to play political games with the left and, apparently, he understands that. Instead of campaigning on stopping Trump, the swamp will now have to explain to voters why it funded the wall and helped to “Make America Great Again.”
Expect more swamp tricks as Trump continues to outmaneuver his opponents. Trump realizes that his legacy and his second term depend on the successes of his first term. He understands that the swamp is fighting back, and the people need to see him fighting for them.
