President Donald Trump says certain provisions of the House spending bill would “unconstitutionally” limit his authority as commander in chief. | Getty Trump pushes back on lawmakers’ attempt to rein in his powers

Congress sought to use its $1 trillion omnibus spending bill to rein in President Donald Trump on issues like medical marijuana and war powers. In a signing statement Friday, Trump seeks to claw some of that power back.

Trump says certain provisions of the bill would “unconstitutionally” limit his authority as commander in chief — and that where the bill conflicts with the White House’s interpretation of the president’s powers under the Constitution, he will go with the Constitution.


President Barack Obama often issued similar statements when he signed major legislation.

Trump in his statement suggests he could ignore a provision in the omnibus barring Attorney General Jeff Sessions from interfering with state medical marijuana laws, writing that he will “treat this provision consistently with my constitutional responsibility to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”

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Trump also takes issue with provisions requiring advance notice before he can order certain military actions. He objects to provisions prohibiting the use of funds to pay for certain White House advisory position s, saying the president “has well-established authority to supervise and oversee the executive branch.”

And he raises concerns about provisions restricting the transfer of detainees from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The omnibus includes a number of provisions designed to put limitations on the president, as POLITICO reported earlier this week.

It contains three separate reminders that he must obey the War Powers Act before putting U.S. troops in harm’s way. It also withholds $2.5 billion in war funding until the administration produces a plan to defeat the Islamic State.