WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened not to sign a $ 892 billion coronavirus relief bill that includes desperately needed money for individual Americans, saying it should be amended to increase the amount on the stimulus controls.
US government operations are being funded on a temporary basis through Dec. 28 pending the $ 1.4 trillion in federal spending for fiscal year 2021 that is also part of the bill.
Failure to pass another interim bill or overturn a possible Trump veto of the legislation could result in a partial government shutdown.
The threat of the outgoing Republican president, with less than a month left in office, causes confusion in a bipartisan effort in Congress to provide aid to people whose lives have been disrupted by the pandemic.
“The bill that they now plan to send back to my desk is very different from what was planned,” Trump said in a video posted on Twitter. “It really is a shame.”
Both the US House of Representatives and the Senate passed the legislation by an overwhelming majority on Monday night.
Trump said he wants Congress to increase the amount of stimulus checks to $ 2,000 for individuals or $ 4,000 for couples, instead of the “ridiculously low” $ 600 for individuals currently listed in the bill.
Trump also complained about money in the legislation for foreign countries, the Smithsonian Institution and fish farming, among other expenses that are in the part of the legislation to finance the government.
“I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the unnecessary and wasteful elements of this legislation and send me a proper bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid aid package. And such. Maybe that administration is me. ” ,” he said.
Trump also said a two-year tax break for corporate dining expenses “wasn’t enough” to help struggling restaurants.
The White House did not raise any objections to the legislation before its passage and gave every hope that Trump would sign it. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin participated in the negotiations on the bill.
White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s intentions.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said in a tweet that Republicans would not say during negotiations how much Trump wanted the stimulus checks to be. She said Democrats are ready to take their $ 2,000 check proposal to the House floor for a vote this week. It did not address Trump’s other concerns.
Trump’s complaints came just as the 5,500-page bill was being processed and sent to the White House for the president to sign, who is scheduled to leave Wednesday afternoon to spend the rest of the year at his Club Mar -a-Lake in Palm. Beach, Florida.
Trump’s video was recorded privately at the White House, with no reporters present, continuing a recent boycott of appearing at public events where he could be exposed to questions about his failed attempt to challenge the results of the November 3 election, which were won by Democrats. Joe Biden.
US government operations are being funded on a temporary basis through Dec. 28 pending the $ 1.4 trillion in federal spending for fiscal year 2021 that is also part of the bill.
Failure to pass another interim bill or overturn a possible Trump veto of the legislation could result in a partial government shutdown.
The threat of the outgoing Republican president, with less than a month left in office, causes confusion in a bipartisan effort in Congress to provide aid to people whose lives have been disrupted by the pandemic.
“The bill that they now plan to send back to my desk is very different from what was planned,” Trump said in a video posted on Twitter. “It really is a shame.”
Both the US House of Representatives and the Senate passed the legislation by an overwhelming majority on Monday night.
Trump said he wants Congress to increase the amount of stimulus checks to $ 2,000 for individuals or $ 4,000 for couples, instead of the “ridiculously low” $ 600 for individuals currently listed in the bill.
Trump also complained about money in the legislation for foreign countries, the Smithsonian Institution and fish farming, among other expenses that are in the part of the legislation to finance the government.
“I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the unnecessary and wasteful elements of this legislation and send me a proper bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid aid package. And such. Maybe that administration is me. ” ,” he said.
Trump also said a two-year tax break for corporate dining expenses “wasn’t enough” to help struggling restaurants.
The White House did not raise any objections to the legislation before its passage and gave every hope that Trump would sign it. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin participated in the negotiations on the bill.
White House officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s intentions.
The Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, said in a tweet that Republicans would not say during negotiations how much Trump wanted the stimulus checks to be. She said Democrats are ready to take their $ 2,000 check proposal to the House floor for a vote this week. It did not address Trump’s other concerns.
Trump’s complaints came just as the 5,500-page bill was being processed and sent to the White House for the president to sign, who is scheduled to leave Wednesday afternoon to spend the rest of the year at his Club Mar -a-Lake in Palm. Beach, Florida.
Trump’s video was recorded privately at the White House, with no reporters present, continuing a recent boycott of appearing at public events where he could be exposed to questions about his failed attempt to challenge the results of the November 3 election, which were won by Democrats. Joe Biden.
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