Trump blows up spy bill after Senate Republicans say 'no' to voter ID legislation

Source: Reuters

By David Morgan

WASHINGTON, June 17 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's derailment of a U.S. Senate plan to pass a key national security bill this week is only the latest example of a growing rift with Senate Republicans, who are more willing to defy the commander-in-chief in the run-up to the November midterm elections.

Aiming to protect his controversial choice of loyalist Bill ‌Pulte as acting U.S. spy chief, Trump forced the Senate Intelligence Committee to postpone a confirmation hearing for U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, his permanent nominee for director of national security, who ‌Republicans had hoped to fast-track into the job.

"He made a colossal mistake," Republican Senator Thom Tillis said of the president's move. "It's undermining our ability to produce the very results he wants."

It was the latest in a series of actions by Trump that have upended ​Senate Republican plans to move major legislation intended to forward his agenda. Last month, his announcement of a $1.8 billion "antiweaponization" fund to compensate political allies who claim to have been victimized by federal authorities stalled a $70 billion bill to fund his immigration crackdown.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-blows-spy-bill-senate-202011048.html