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Trump threatens to veto newly passed spending bill
Washington, March 23 (IANS) US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering vetoing the newly-passed $1.3 trillion spending bill, a move that likely would lead to a government shutdown, as it does “nothing to address the problem of young undocumented immigrants and does not fully fund a planned border wall”.
His remarks came just hours after the US Senate voted 65-32 in favour of the spending bill, which had been approved on Thursday in the House of Representatives by a 256-167 vote, the Washington Post reported.
“I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defence, is not fully funded,” Trump tweeted.
He was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, which his predecessor Barack Obama created in 2012 to shield more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants called Dreamers from deportation.
These individuals are potential beneficiaries of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (Dream) Act, a bill that had been introduced in Congress in numerous versions over the past 17 years in an effort to provide a citizenship path for individuals who were brought into the US unlawfully before the age of 16.
Trump announced an end to the DACA programme last September, saying Obama’s executive order was “unlawful” and “unconstitutional” and that he was providing a six-month window for Congress to enact a legislative solution.
The spending bill also included $1.6 billion for the start of construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border, a key Trump campaign promise. It is far short of the $25 billion the White House had initially requested.
If approved, the bill will fund the government through the end of September, the end of the 2018 fiscal year.
Failure to enact the legislation by a midnight Friday deadline would trigger the third government shutdown this year.
Conservative members of the House slammed the spending bill before it was passed. “The funding proposal drafted by House and Senate leadership not only forgets the promises we made to the voters — it outright rejects them,” the House Freedom Caucus said in a letter to Trump.
It said, among other things, that the $1.5 billion allocated for the border wall would be “minimally effective in delivering not just our promise, but your promise, to build a wall and keep our country secure”.
“Sanctuary cities also continue to receive federal funds,” the letter added, referring to cities such as San Francisco that do not cooperate with federal authorities on deportations and other enforcement actions.
Trump’s pledges during the campaign to build the wall and end funding for sanctuary cities were highly popular among his base and key factors in his surprise run to the presidency.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.