WASHINGTON — President Trump started his day Thursday publicly criticizing leaders of his own party for not advancing his legislative agenda, which the president called “so easy.’’
Trump said he asked Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, and Representative Paul Ryan, the House speaker, to include language about the debt ceiling in a recent Department of Veterans Affairs bill.
“They didn’t do it so now we have a big deal with Dems holding them up (as usual) on Debt Ceiling approval,’’ Trump said in a pair of Twitter posts.
Congress has until mid-October to raise the legal borrowing limit or the United States could risk defaulting on its debt obligations.
A White House official said Trump was specifically referring to a bill to extend emergency funding to the multibillion-dollar Veterans Choice program, which pays for veterans to receive care from private doctors if they face long wait times or travel distances.
Congressional aides said there had indeed been a short-lived effort late last month to tie the debt ceiling language to the Choice bill. But with the veterans’ program set to run out of money by mid-August, apparent opposition from conservative budget hard-liners, and a congressional recess looming, the idea was never given serious consideration.
The Choice legislation ultimately passed both the House and the Senate unanimously. Trump signed it on Aug. 12.
Speaking at an event with Boeing employees in suburban Seattle Thursday, Ryan insisted Congress would ‘‘pass legislation to make sure that we pay our debts.’’
Ryan also said he and Trump are in ‘‘constant contact’’ to work on a policy agenda, adding ‘‘for me it’s really important the president succeeds, because if he succeeds then the country succeeds.’’
The federal government has never defaulted on debt payments.
Trump shifted his focus on Twitter briefly to the Obama administration on Thursday. The president shared a post from one of his supporters that was critical of Obama and showed his face moving over Obama’s with the caption “The best eclipse ever!’’
And Trump criticized Obama’s director of national intelligence, James R. Clapper Jr., who has publicly questioned whether Trump is fit to be president. Trump wrote, “James Clapper, who famously got caught lying to Congress, is now an authority on Donald Trump. Will he show you his beautiful letter to me?’’
“I really question his ability to — his fitness to be in this office,’’ Clapper said on CNN this week.
Trump also lashed out at the media. “The Fake News is now complaining about my different types of back to back speeches. Well, there was Afghanistan (somber), the big Rally (enthusiastic, dynamic and fun) and the American Legion — V.A. (respectful and strong). Too bad the Dems have no one who can change tones!’’ Trump wrote.
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.
