U.S. Capitol.Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty
On Monday, Congress passed a $900 billionstimulus package(part of a $2.3 trillion government funding deal) that would send up-to $600 checks to American households and help businesses grappling with the economic toll of thecoronaviruspandemic.
The package was sent to PresidentDonald Trumpon Monday, who early reports suggested would sign it imminently, giving Americans access to the funds as early as next week.
Instead, the president issued afour-minute videoon Tuesday in which he called the bill a “disgrace” anddemandedthat direct payments to Americans be up to $2,000.
“I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 for a couple,” Trump said.
The president added that he’d also like to see the package whittled down, so that it no longer contained “wasteful” spending.
Republicans were immediately forced to grapple with the fact that the president had thrown a wrench into a stimulus package they had voted for, putting Trump at odds with his own party.
The New York Timesreported that House Republicans expressed their frustrations with the president in a private conference call on Wednesday. At least one lawmaker worried that it would be a tremendous challenge to offer people less than half of what the president publicly called for.
“I don’t know if we recover from this,” North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx said, according to theTimes. “We will have a hell of a time getting this out of people’s head.”
On Thursday, Democrat Richard Nealintroduced an amendmentto the larger stimulus package, which would “increase recovery rebate amounts to $2,000 for individuals.”
McCarthy mentioned nothing in his letter about including larger payments in the package, per the president’s request.
In astatement released Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lambasted Republicans for “obstructing” the measure, saying there will be a full House vote on the bill next week.
“Today, on Christmas Eve morning, House Republicans cruelly deprived the American people of the $2,000 that the President agreed to support. If the President is serious about the $2,000 direct payments, he must call on House Republicans to end their obstruction,” the statement read.
Trump still hasn’t vetoed the package outright, but he did say “the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package” if he isn’t sent a more suitable bill.
In addition to direct cash payments, the stimulus bill would also extend unemployment benefits for millions. Those benefits are set to expire the day after Christmas.
The largerspending packageto which the stimulus bill is attached would avert a government shutdown.
Trump is currently inPalm Beach, spending the holiday at his members-only Mar-a-Lago resort.
source: people.com
