Hillary Clinton joined the chorus of Democrats blowing up President Trump’s executive orders on Saturday – calling them “a stunt” and “unconstitutional.”
Clinton, the Democratic nominee president in 2016, awaited Trump’s executive orders during an appearance on MSNBC’s “AM Joy.”
“It’s a stunt,” she said. “There is no doubt about it. It is likely, as even Republican senators have said, unconstitutional, to walk around Congress trying to spend money that he has no authority to direct.”
WHAT IS IN PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FOR CORONAVIRUS RELIEF EXECUTIVE ORDERS?
She added: “It is also meant to be a major departure from the hard work that Congress would be doing to provide the kind of relief that tens of millions of Americans need.”
Trump’s executive orders, which have been widely pledged by Democrats and even some Republicans, follow the collapse of negotiations with Congress over a new coronavirus rescue package. Bypassing Congress, Trump introduced payroll taxes and replaced an expired unemployment benefit by a lower amount.
Trump’s mandates have left Congress in control of federal spending and appear likely to be facing legal challenges. The president dismisses his actions as necessary because lawmakers are unable to reach an agreement to plunge more money into the steamy economy, which his November reelection has implied.
Trump moved to continue paying an additional federal unemployment benefit to millions of unemployed Americans during the outbreak. However, his order demanded a maximum of $ 400 payments each week, one-third less than the $ 600 people received. How many people would get the benefit and how long it might take to come were open questions.
The previous unemployment benefit, which expired on August 1, was fully funded by Washington, but Trump is asking states to cover 25 percent now. He seeks to set up $ 44 billion in previously approved disaster relief to help states, but said it would be up to states to determine how much, if any, of it to fund so that the benefits can be even smaller.
Many states are already facing budget shortages due to the coronavirus pandemic and would find it difficult to adopt the new obligation.
Trump hopes the four executive orders he has signed will signal to Americans that he is acting where Congress will not address economic outcomes from the COVID-19 pandemic, which affects almost every aspect of American life up. It is unclear what the economic impact of his actions will be, and his mandates do not address various areas that have been part of the congressional negotiations, including funding for schools and state and local governments.
While the orders around were dismissed by Democrats – with Second Chamber member Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., calling them “lean” – they also saw opposition from some Republican critics of Trump.
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The use of executive action drew criticism from Republican sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska.
“The pen-and-phone theory of executive legislation is unconstitutional,” said Sasse, a member of the House Judiciary and Finance Panels. He added that Trump “does not have the power to unilaterally rewrite the tax law. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the American people who act through their members of Congress.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
