[ad_1]
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump salutes before boarding Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, the United States, December 12, 2020. REUTERS / Tom Brenner
WASHINGTON – U.S. lawmakers on Thursday blocked attempts to alter a $ 2.3 trillion coronavirus aid and government spending package, rejecting President Donald Trump’s demand for sweeping changes and putting benefits for millions at risk. Americans.
Democrats in the House of Representatives sought to increase direct payments to Americans included in the bill from $ 600 to $ 2,000 per person as part of an economic relief initiative from the coronavirus, responding to one of Trump’s requests. Trump’s fellow Republicans, who oppose the larger number, blocked that effort.
Republicans sought to change the amount of foreign aid included in the package, seeking to address another of Trump’s complaints. Democrats blocked that request. The Chamber then suspended the session for the day.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the house would hold a recorded vote on increasing the stimulus check on Monday.
The flurry of activity on the House floor did nothing to break up a standoff that threatens desperately needed assistance for millions of Americans and raises the possibility of a partial government shutdown at a time when officials are trying to distribute two vaccines. against coronavirus.
Many Democrats say the $ 892 billion coronavirus aid package is not big enough to deal with a pandemic that has killed nearly 320,000 Americans, and they have welcomed Trump’s call for tighter stimulus controls.
“How ironic it would be to shut down the federal government at a time of pandemic crisis, the very time when government services are most needed,” House Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer told a news conference.
Republicans opposed the larger direct payments during the negotiations as they sought to keep the total price of coronavirus aid below $ 1 trillion.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump was in Florida, where he was supposed to play golf on Thursday. The 5,500-page bill took months to negotiate and was supported by the Trump administration.
With the status quo unchanged, it was unclear whether Trump would sign the package into law or wait for more action to be taken.
Without his signature, unemployment benefits for those left without work by the pandemic will expire on Saturday, and the United States government would be forced to partially close as of Tuesday.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said Thursday that Democrats should be willing to address foreign aid and other elements of the bill that he has called wasteful spending. “House Democrats appear to be suffering from a targeted audience,” he wrote in a letter to other House Republicans.
Congress could keep operations running by passing a fourth interim funding bill before midnight Monday. To do that successfully, lawmakers would need Trump’s cooperation at a time when he is still consumed by his November loss to Democrat Joe Biden, who will take office on January 20.
However, the interim bill would not include coronavirus aid.
The House will also try Monday to overturn Trump’s veto on an unrelated defense policy bill.
Embittered by his loss to Biden, Trump is pressing Congress to drastically alter the coronavirus and the government spending package, which it approved Monday by wide bipartisan margins.
Trump triggered a record 35-day government shutdown two years ago when he rejected a federal spending bill on what he said was insufficient funds to build a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
