President Trump is not concerned that he angered some Capitol Hill Republicans by striking a deal with Democrats to quickly pass emergency disaster relief, the White House said Friday, saying it was more important to break the gridlock in Congress.
“The biggest message is we are a lot less focused on what makes Congress happy and [instead on] what makes Americans better and stronger,” said White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “He’s going to continue working with whoever is interested in moving the ball forward to help the American people.”
Mr. Trump blindsided Republican leaders and riled conservative lawmakers with the deal that tied a short-term increase in the debt limit and spending to keep the government open until mid-December with the emergency disaster relief.
The package was headed to Mr. Trump’s desk after winning final approval from Congress earlier in the day.
Mrs. Sanders said the deal-making was one of the reason voters sent Mr. Trump to the White House.
“The president’s focus was doing what is best for the American people. And that’s why he’s the president,” she said. “People wanted somebody to be a leader. They wanted someone who was going to step up and take action, and that’s exactly what the president did.”
The deal helped address with the series of natural disasters and cleared the decks for Congress, although only for three months, providing room for Mr. Trump to press ahead with his tax reform agenda.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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