Much is being said about Trump’s comments on the Covid relief bill and his refusal to sign it. Most of the attention is on his call for bigger relief payments of $2,000 instead of the $600 in the bill Congress passed.
In the video he posted on Facebook and Twitter, Trump also complained about a list of items that he says don’t belong in the bill. It sounded like he somehow didn’t know that the bill is more than a Covid relief package. Bundled with it is the all-important appropriations bill that’s supposed to fund the government until September 30th 2021 when the current fiscal year ends.
Oddly, the list of items that bother Trump now were included in his own budget request that he submitted to Congress earlier this year. It’s posted on the White House website with appendices and attachments that detail everything in his wish list last February which he now condemns. The dollar amounts Congress approved and sent to him for his signature are almost exactly what he wanted.
Let’s take a look at each item one-by one.
“$85.5 million for assistance to Cambodia”
This item is listed in the State Department appendix where it says:
CAMBODIA.— (1) ASSISTANCE.—Of the funds appropriated under title III of this Act, not less than $82,505,000 shall be made available for assistance for Cambodia
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“$134 million to Burma”
This is also in Trump’s State Department appendix where it says:
BURMA.— (1) BILATERAL ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE.— (A) [Of the funds]Funds appropriated by [under title III of] this Act [, not less than $131,450,000 shall] and prior acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for assistance for Burma may be made available [for assistance for Burma
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“$1.3 billion for Egypt and the Egyptian military”
This is in Trump’s main budget document for Fiscal Year 2021. Note: Trump claimed that Egypt would use the assistance to “go out and buy almost exclusively Russian military equipment” but that’s not how it works. The FMF or Foreign Military Financing grants delivered to Egypt every year are sent in military hardware built by US defense contractors, not cash that can be used to buy from Russia.
The Budget also fully supports the U.S.-Jordan Memorandum of Understanding at $1.3 billion and the U.S. diplomatic and security partnership with Egypt, including $1.3 billion in FMF grant assistance.
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“$25 million for democracy and gender programs in Pakistan”
This one is also in Trump’s State Dept appendix. It says:
ASSISTANCE.—Of the funds appropriated under title III of this Act that are made available for assistance for Pakistan, not less than $15,000,000 shall be made available for democracy programs and not less than $10,000,000 shall be made available for gender programs.
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“$505 million to Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama”
In Trump’s State Dept budget appendix, it says:
CENTRAL AMERICA.—
(1) ASSISTANCE.—
(A) Of the funds appropriated by this Act under titles III and IV, not less than $519,885,000 should be made available for assistance for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, including through the Central America Regional Security Initiative:
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“$40 million for the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC”
This is in Trump’s budget appendix for Other Independent Agencies. It says:
JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE
For necessary expenses for the operation, maintenance and security of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, [$25,690,000] $26,400,000, to remain available until September 30, 2022. (Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020.)
CAPITAL REPAIR AND RESTORATION For necessary expenses for capital repair and restoration of the existing features of the building and site of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, [$17,800,000] 14,000,000, to remain available until expended. (Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020.)
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“$1 billion for the Smithsonian”
This is also in the appendix for Other Independent Agencies. The two amounts total the $1 billion Trump cited. It says:
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION
Federal Funds
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For necessary expenses of the Smithsonian Institution, as authorized by law, including research in the fields of art, science, and history; development, preservation, and documentation of the National Collections; presentation of public exhibits and performances; collection, preparation, dissemination, and exchange of information and publications; conduct of education, training, and museum assistance programs; maintenance, alteration, operation, lease agreements of no more than 30 years, and protection of buildings, facilities, and approaches; not to exceed $100,000 for services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109; and purchase, rental, repair, and cleaning of uniforms for employees, [$793,658,000] $820,313,000 to remain available until September 30, [2021],
www.whitehouse.gov/…
FACILITIES CAPITAL
For necessary expenses of repair, revitalization, and alteration of facilities owned or occupied by the Smithsonian Institution, by contract or otherwise, as authorized by section 2 of the Act of August 22, 1949 (63 Stat. 623), and for construction, including necessary personnel, [$253,700,000] $290,000,000, to remain available until expended, of which not to exceed $10,000 shall be for services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109. (Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020.)
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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“an additional $154 million for the National Gallery of Art”
This is also included in the appendix for Other Independent Agencies. The two amounts total $173 million, The amount Trump requested was about $19 million more than the amount Congress approved. It says:
NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
SALARIES AND EXPENSES
For the upkeep and operations of the National Gallery of Art, the protection and care of the works of art therein, and administrative expenses incident thereto, as authorized by the Act of March 24, 1937 (50 Stat. 51), as amended by the public resolution of April 13, 1939 (Public Resolution 9, Seventy-sixth Congress), including services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109; payment in advance when authorized by the treasurer of the Gallery for membership in library, museum, and art associations or societies whose publications or services are available to members only, or to members at a price lower than to the general public; purchase, repair, and cleaning of uniforms for guards, and uniforms, or allowances therefor, for other employees as authorized by law (5 U.S.C. 5901–5902); purchase or rental of devices and services for protecting buildings and contents thereof, and maintenance, alteration, improvement, and repair of buildings, approaches, and grounds; and purchase of services for restoration and repair of works of art for the National Gallery of Art by contracts made, without advertising, with individuals, firms, or organizations at such rates or prices and under such terms and conditions as the Gallery may deem proper, [$147,022,000]$147,174,000, to remain available until September 30, [2021].
www.whitehouse.gov/…
REPAIR, RESTORATION AND RENOVATION OF BUILDINGS
For necessary expenses of repair, restoration and renovation of buildings, grounds and facilities owned or occupied by the National Gallery of Art, by contract or otherwise, for operating lease agreements of no more than 10 years, with no extensions or renewals beyond the 10 years, that address space needs created by the ongoing renovations in the Master Facilities Plan, as authorized, $26,203,000]$14,413,000, to remain available until expended:
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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Trump also mentioned:
- “$7 million for reef fish management,”
- “$25 million to combat Asian carp,”
- “$2.5 million to count the number of amberjack fish in the Gulf of Mexico”
These items weren’t specified in Trump’s budget. Instead, it says that the Fish and Wildlife Service which owns these initiatives is entitled to receive funding that it needs from the Interior Dept.
How to explain Trump’s comments about the federal budget? Is it possible that he doesn’t know what he requested or what was requested in his name? Maybe. Did he just copy and paste his budget from previous budgets that date back to Obama’s administration? Could be. It’s also possible that he has only one thing in mind. Creating enough chaos by leaving the government unfunded so that he can prevent Biden from succeeding, or even taking office.