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US President Donald Trump signed a $ 900 billion (New Zealand $ 1.26 trillion) pandemic aid package today, ending days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal. that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and prevent a federal government shutdown.
US President Donald Trump travels in a caravan vehicle as he leaves his Mar-a-Lago resort. Source: Associated Press
The huge bill includes $ 1.4 trillion (NZ $ 1.9 trillion) to fund government agencies through September and contains other priorities at the end of the session, such as money for cashless transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.
The signing, at his private club in Florida, came after a day of vocal criticism from Republicans and Democrats over their objections to the bipartisan deal, which was approved by the House and Senate by wide margins and lawmakers believed they had the right to do so. Trump support. His last-minute demands, including a push for larger aid checks and reduced spending, had taken members of both sides by surprise. His subsequent delay resulted in a lapse in unemployment benefits for millions struggling to make ends meet and threatened a government shutdown amid a pandemic.
The signing of the bill prevents another crisis of Trump’s own making and ends a showdown with his own party during the final days of his administration.
It was unclear what Trump had accomplished by his delay, beyond empowering Democrats to push for higher controls his party opposes. In a statement, Trump repeated his frustration with the Covid-19 relief bill for providing checks for just $ 600 (NZ $ 841) to most Americans instead of the $ 2,000 (NZ $ 2,806) who declined his fellow republicans. He also complained about what he considered unnecessary spending by the government in general.
“I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message making it clear to Congress that waste items must be removed,” Trump said in the statement.
Although the president insisted that he would send to Congress “a version marked in red” with elements that will be eliminated in the framework of the rescission process, those are mere suggestions to Congress. The bill, as signed, would not necessarily be changed.
Lawmakers now have breathing space to continue debating whether aid checks should be as large as the president has demanded. The Democratic-led House supports the bigger checks and is set to vote on the issue Monday, but it is expected to be ignored by the Republican-controlled Senate, where the spending faces opposition. For now, the administration can only start sending payments of US $ 600 (NZ $ 841).
Republicans and Democrats were quick to welcome Trump’s decision to sign the bill into law.
“The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do a lot of good for Kentuckians and Americans fighting across the country who need help now,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Republican for Ky. “I thank the president for turning this relief into law.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, called the signing “good news for the fourteen million Americans who just lost their sustenance from unemployment benefits on Christmas weekend and for the millions. more than struggling to stay afloat during this historic pandemic and economic crisis. ” “
But others criticized Trump’s delay in turning the bill into law. In a tweet, Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia, accused Trump of “playing Russian roulette with American lives. A familiar and comfortable place for him. “
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said he would offer Trump’s proposal for checks for $ 2,000 (NZ $ 2806) for a Senate vote, putting Republicans in a bind.
“The House will pass a bill to give Americans checks for $ 2,000. Then I will move to pass it in the Senate, ”Schumer tweeted. “No Democrat will object. Will the Senate Republicans do it?
Democrats promise more help once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, but Republicans are signaling a wait-and-see approach.
Faced with mounting economic difficulties, the spread of disease and an impending shutdown, lawmakers today urged Trump to sign the legislation immediately and then have Congress follow up with additional help. Aside from unemployment benefits and support payments to families, money was at stake for vaccine distribution, businesses and more. Protections against evictions were also at stake.
“What the president is doing right now is incredibly cruel,” said Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “Many people are suffering. … It’s really insane and this president finally has to … do the right thing for the American people and stop worrying about his ego. “
Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said he understood that Trump “wants to be remembered for defending big checks, but the danger is that he will be remembered for chaos, misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”
Toomey added: “So I think the best thing to do, as I said, is to sign this and then defend the subsequent legislation.”
The same point was shared by Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican who criticized Trump’s response to the pandemic and his efforts to undo the election results. “I just stopped guessing what to do next,” he said.
Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said the stakes are too high for Trump to “play this old game of change.”
“I don’t get the point,” he said. “I don’t understand what is being done, why, unless it’s just to create chaos and show power and be upset that you lost the election.”
Washington had been reeling since Trump again accepted the deal. Fingers pointed at administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, as lawmakers tried to understand whether they were misled about Trump’s position.
“Now, to flip, after the president himself negotiated something that the president doesn’t want, it’s just … it’s amazing,” Kinzinger said.
Kinzinger spoke on CNN’s State of the Union, and Hogan and Sanders on ABC’s This Week.
