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Millions of Americans will see their unemployment benefits expire, at least temporarily, after President Donald Trump waited Saturday night (local time) without signing a bipartisan stimulus package for the coronavirus of 900,000 million dollars (1,263,000 million) New Zealand dollars).
The federal government could shut down on Tuesday in the absence of Trump’s signature on the accompanying $ 1.4 trillion (New Zealand $ 1.97 trillion) spending bill to fund operations through September 30, the end of the month. fiscal year.
As Trump headed to the golf course Sunday morning, Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Pat Toomey said the president risked leaving a legacy of “chaos, misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”
Trump has investigated the size of the direct checks that will be sent to many Americans, however the stimulus agreement contains many other measures designed to offset the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including extended unemployment benefits, financing for banks. food, rental assistance, support for small businesses and Covid vaccination programs, and other items.
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The deadlock comes as the pandemic continues to worsen in many areas and more American workers are in danger of losing their jobs.
Trump took no action on the stimulus bill that Congress passed and his administration helped negotiate, beyond expressing discontent with a series of tweets until midnight Saturday and beyond. The massive legislation was sent to him at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he spends his vacations.
Patrick Semansky / AP
Trump has demanded that Congress increase stimulus checks from $ 600 (NZ $ 842) to $ 2,000 (NZ $ 2807) for eligible Americans.
Signing the bill as late as Saturday would have triggered action by states to update their computer systems to reflect current benefits.
Trump has demanded that Congress increase stimulus checks from $ 600 (NZ $ 842) to $ 2,000 (NZ $ 2,807) for eligible Americans, an abrupt proposal that surprised lawmakers who spent months negotiating the final package and in which many Republicans oppose.
He has also complained about some of the elements of the stimulus plan or the overhead bill.
“I just want our great people to get $ 2000, instead of the measly $ 600 that is now on the bill,” Trump tweeted on Saturday.
Angus Mordant / Bloomberg
Up to 10 million Americans could lose their unemployment insurance benefits as a result of Donald Trump failing to sign the Covid relief bill.
President-elect Joe Biden criticized Trump on Saturday for refusing to sign the bill. Biden said in a statement that up to 10 million Americans will lose their unemployment insurance benefits. Approximately 14 million people have been receiving unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation programs.
“It’s the day after Christmas and millions of families don’t know if they’ll be able to make ends meet,” Biden said. “This abdication of responsibility has devastating consequences.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said on Twitter Saturday that Trump should “pick up the phone and tell Republicans to stop blocking $ 2,000 payments.” He added that Trump’s last minute inconvenience was designed to create “chaos.”
Given the potential lag in funding, it could take up to a month before people receive their funds and even longer for the effects to seep into the economy, according to Michael Englund, chief economist at Action Economics LLC.
Any delay in immediate direct payments and the gap in special unemployment benefits threaten to deepen the economic scars marked especially by an increase in long-term unemployment.
Democrats plan to vote Monday (NZT Tuesday) on new legislation to codify payments of $ 2,000 for most American adults and children. They could also vote on another stopgap measure to fund the government after the current spending deadline of midnight that day.
While that would prevent a government shutdown if the Senate also passes it and the president signs it, it is not yet clear what Trump plans to do with the greater relief from the pandemic and the annual spending bill that Congress passed on Sept. 21. December.
