Indiana Congressman Jim Banks voted against a bipartisan spending deal meant to avert another government shutdown last night.
While President Trump plans to sign the measure today, and declare a national emergency at the same time to get the rest of the funding he says he needs for a border wall between the US and Mexico, Banks voted against it.
The bill provides about $1.4-billion for a border wall, while Trump has said repeatedly he needs close to $5.7-billion.
In a statement, Banks says that while he supports Trump’s agenda on border security, he can’t support the bill as it both falls short on delivering on promised commitments and adds to the United States’ $22-Trillion debt.
“While I support President Trump’s agenda on border security I cannot support this bill as it falls woefully short on delivering on the commitments we have made,” Banks said. “Making matters worse, the U.S. is $22 Trillion in debt and this 1,169-page bill was introduced less than 20 hours ago with little time to review. As Chairman of the Republican Study Committee Budget and Spending Task Force I am working hard with my colleagues to introduce a fiscally responsible budget but in the meantime, I can’t support more bloated spending like what is found in this deal.”
Indiana US Senator Mike Braun said in an interview earlier this week that should Trump declare a national emergency for border wall funding, it would face a legal challenge almost immediately and be “tied up in the courts” for a few years as a result.
