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US President-elect Joe Biden warned of “devastating consequences” if President Donald Trump continues to delay the signing of a Covid-19 financial aid bill passed by Congress.
Millions of Americans saw their unemployment benefits expire today after US President Donald Trump refused to enact a $ 2.3 trillion pandemic spending and aid package law, protesting that he did not do the right thing. enough to help ordinary people.
“This abdication of responsibility has devastating consequences. Today, some 10 million Americans will lose their unemployment insurance benefits,” Biden said in a statement.
Trump surprised both Republicans and Democrats when he said this week he was unhappy with the huge bill, which provides $ 892 billion in much-needed coronavirus relief, including the extension of special unemployment benefits due today, and $ 1.4 trillion for normal government spending.
Without Trump’s signature, about 14 million people could lose those extra benefits, according to Labor Department data.
The partial government shutdown will begin Tuesday unless Congress can agree to an interim government funding bill before then.
After months of bickering, Republicans and Democrats agreed on the package last weekend, with the support of the White House.
Trump, who hands over power to Biden on January 20, did not object to the terms of the deal before Congress approved it Monday night.
But he has since complained that the bill gives too much money to special interests, cultural projects and foreign aid, while its one-time $ 600 stimulus checks for millions of struggling Americans were too small. He has demanded that it be increased to $ 2,000.
“Why wouldn’t politicians want to give the people $ 2,000, instead of just $ 600? … Give our people the money!” the president tweeted on Christmas Day, much of which he spent playing golf at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
I made a lot of calls and had meetings at Trump International in Palm Beach, Florida. Why wouldn’t politicians want to give people $ 2000 instead of just $ 600? It wasn’t his fault, it was China. Give money to our people!
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 25, 2020
Many economists agree that aid from the bill is too low, but say immediate support is still welcome and necessary.
A source familiar with the situation said Trump’s objection to the bill caught many White House officials by surprise.
While the outgoing president’s strategy for the bill remains unclear, he has not vetoed it and could still sign it in the coming days.
It is scheduled to remain in Mar-a-Lago, where the bill was sent and awaits its decision.
Biden, whose November 3 election victory Trump refuses to acknowledge, is vacationing in his home state of Delaware and had no public events scheduled for today.
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