Trump administration demanded Democrats strip Ukraine aid language from spending package

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Trump administration demanded Democrats strip Ukraine aid language from spending package

The language would have required the White House to release Ukraine defense aid quickly.

By Erica Werner
12/20/2019, 5:22:13 p.m.

Senior Trump administration officials in recent days threatened a presidential veto that could have led to a government shutdown if House Democrats refused to drop language requiring prompt release of future military aid for Ukraine, according to five administration and congressional officials.

The language was ultimately left out of mammoth year-end spending legislation that passed the House and Senate this week ahead of a Saturday shutdown deadline. The White House said President Trump would sign the $1.4 trillion package before midnight.

The Ukraine provision was one of several items the White House drew a hard line on during negotiations to finalize the spending legislation, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the developments. It would have required the White House to swiftly release $250 million in defense money for Ukraine that was part of the spending package.

The White House this year refused to release congressionally appropriated defense aid to Kyiv during a period when President Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former vice president and 2020 candidate Joe Biden and his son Hunter, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company. Trump’s request of Zelensky as the White House delayed the aid was at the heart of House Democrats’ decision to impeach Trump this week on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

Attempting to prevent the White House from withholding Ukraine aid again, House Democrats tried to insert language in this week’s spending package that would have required the White House Office of Management and Budget to sign off on and release Pentagon funding for Ukraine within 45 days. ...

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2019/12/20/trump-administration-demanded-democrats-strip-ukraine-aid-language-spending-package/

[rso]

1. Ukraine

Democrats should not have caved on this. It would have been easy to go on the offensive politically on this.

[LenaBaby61]

2. WHY ....

DEMS?

WHY?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

3. ask all the federal workers if they want another shutdown over this

[Tommy_Carcetti]

5. And now we know how Zelensky felt

To have one’s head pressed to the proverbial gun by this madman.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

7. I suspect this was a face-saving item

Agolf Twitler couldn't handle having the spending bill rubbing salt in the wound of impeachment.

[Fullduplexxx]

6. Yea why should people fight for things let's just give trump what he wants

[Hermit-The-Prog]

8. why should people suffer just to rub his nose in the fact he was caught?

The money for Ukraine wasn't removed, only the wording about it being delivered promptly.

[Fullduplexxx]

9. Because the people In Ukraine are being killed by an invading army

Without that language he can hold on to the money. This is to prevent what just happened with the ukraine money this year .next year they just won't get it

[Hermit-The-Prog]

10. not bloody likely he will repeat that abuse of power

There are so many others he hasn't tried yet. Or at least hasn't been caught doing, yet.

[Fullduplexxx]

11. Next time it won't be abuse because he has the language that will allow him to do it again

Legally. Imo

[Hermit-The-Prog]

12. if he's committed to crime, how would extra language stop him?

Getting the spending bill passed without a shutdown lets millions avoid the pain of suffering the last shutdown caused. Removing the language does not remove the obligation. Leaving the language in does not guarantee no criminal activity.

[onenote]

16. what language allows him to do it again?

[LenaBaby61]

15. Without that language he can hold on to the money.

This is what I was told if it was explained to me correctly, and it's that if specific language wasn't written into the bill stating what the monies was specifically FOR 👆🏻👆🏻

So, I guess fat ass will win again, because all he'll do is threaten to shut down the government if Dems don't fuck themselves over.

I can ONLY imagine what's going to happen with the ACA this time around in 2020, and what he'll threaten Dems/Americans with this time around if Dems don't fuck themselves over again.

[onenote]

17. So your point is that he didn't do anything illegal withholding the money the last time

because there was no language in the previous aid package like that stripped out of the appropriations bill?

[coti]

18. Why not just have Putin move into the White House? nt

[Hermit-The-Prog]

19. why not just cut our noses off to spite our faces?

No language will stop TrumPutin from committing crimes. The appropriation is there and the bill will go through and millions avoid suffering.

Cheer up; here's a little tune to help:

[octoberlib]

4. JFC

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

13. Doing Putin's bidding.

[RandiFan1290]

14. Democrats bringing that fight!