Mick Mulvaney says Trump "looks forward to signing" spending bill
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Mick Mulvaney and White House Legislative Director Marc Short said in a briefing Thursday afternoon that President Trump plans on signing the spending bill that Congress is working to pass.
"The president supports the bill, looks forward to signing it," Mulvaney said, alongside White House Director of Legislative Affairs Marc Short.
Congress must pass the omnibus bill, which funds the government for the next six months of the fiscal year, and Mr. Trump must approve the measure by Friday night in order to avoid a government shutdown.
The impromptu briefing came moments before the House voted on its final passage of the omnibus and just as Mr. Trump announced new aggressive tariffs on China for what the Trump administration views as unfair trading practices.
While Mr. Trump plans to sign the Consolidated Appropriations Act as it "funds his priorities," according to Mulvaney, he and Short said that the administration believes the legislation was still fairly lenient to congressional Democrats.
"Is it perfect? No. Is it exactly what we asked for in the budget? no," Mulvaney said, acknowledging that Republicans needed to concede some budget lines to Democrats.
Among the president's priorities included in the spending package are a boost in defense spending and small amount of barrier funding for a wall on part of the southern border between the United States and Mexico.