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The president of the United States, Trump, has surprisingly rejected the gigantic Corona aid package. He called for more amendments to the bill that Democrats and Republicans had debated for months.
By Sebastian Hesse, ARD-Studio Washington
The $ 900 billion crown aid package approved by Congress on Monday is a “disgrace” – US President Donald Trump shocked this harsh criticism in a video message on Twitter that night. Without reworking, it won’t sign the law.
Trump asked, among other things, to increase direct aid from $ 600 for adults and children to $ 2,000 per person. He described the $ 600 proposed by his own Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin, as “ridiculously small.”
The approval was considered really safe
At the same time, Trump is calling on Congress to remove supposedly wasteful and unnecessary elements from the bill. However, the examples the president cites as evidence – development aid, grants for cultural institutions, fisheries regulations – are not part of the aid package. Rather, they come from the budget law passed at the same time, which comprises just under $ 1.5 trillion.
Trump’s video message came as a surprise not only to Congress, but to many in the White House as well. He had not commented on Corona’s aid and budget lines for days and his approval was deemed safe. Trump’s refusal to sign the legislative package in this way could have far-reaching consequences, such as the government shutdown on December 29.
Democrats also call for more direct help
At least one thing, the demanded increase in direct aid, is welcomed by Democrats: Nancy Pelosi, a spokeswoman for the House of Representatives, assured on Twitter that her party’s MPs would enthusiastically approve an increase in direct aid. Chuck Schumer, leader of the Senate Democratic Party, made a similar statement. In this sense, Trump’s video message is mostly a shot through the bow from his own party friends.
The fact that the parties met in both houses of Congress and passed the complex combination of Corona’s aid and the budget bill on Monday was generally welcomed in the United States. The agreement on the 5,000-page legislative package was preceded by months of tough negotiations. The fact that Corona’s urgently needed help was a deal struck before Christmas was seen as a conciliatory symbol.
Trump had recently no longer commented publicly on the negotiations – he seemed to be fully focused on proving the electoral fraud he alleged. He had grown increasingly lonely with the outgoing president.
