One day after President Donald Trump’s response to the congressional dispute over additional spending on coronavirus by signing a series of executive actions, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer described the guidelines as “spicy … unworkable, weak and far too narrow “a solution to address the needs of millions of unemployed Americans.
“The country club event is exactly what Trump is doing – a great show, but it does nothing,” Schumer, DN.Y. ABC’s Sunday “This Week” about the president’s Saturday signing ceremony. “When the American people see these executive orders, they will see that they do not come close to doing the work.”
The measures Trump signed on Saturday address some of the sticking points within the halted congressional negotiations, such as providing $ 300 a week to unemployed Americans – with state governments, in some cases, adding an extra $ 100 – and a potential stop federal eviction. But the orders are already facing backlog of critics who question whether they override the president’s powers.
“Can the president do this? Is it legal?” Chief News anchor George Stephanopoulos of ABC News asked Schumer on Sunday.
“Well, you know, I’ll leave that to the lawyers. It does not work … it will not work for weeks or months in most places because it is put together in such a crazy way,” Schumer said, arguing that the continuation of extended payments for unemployment “flowed smoothly” Trump would extend the previous exchange rate of $ 600, as Democrats proposed.
Together with House member Nancy Pelosi, Schumer has served as the Democrats’ chief negotiator over the stopped relief package. Democrats have refused to budget on several of their demands, citing Republicans’ decision to wait months to introduce a counter-proposal to the HEROES Act, which passed in the House of Representatives in May.
In a statement Saturday, Schumer and Pelosi continued to plead for their Republican counterparts to return to negotiations. Stephanopoulos urged the minority leader on Sunday about the Democrats’ proposal to trim their $ 1 trillion bill and what a possible compromise would look like.
“What the Republicans said is that … your trillion-dollar offer is actually just a budget gimmick. You shorten the amount of time the money will be spent. You don’t cut programs,” Stephanopoulos said. “Will you compromise more?”
Schumer shot back at that characterization and described GOP leaders such as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows as not ready to meet in the middle.
“In an attempt to compromise, Speaker Pelosi told the negotiators of the president’s office, we’ll get a trillion down, you’ll get a trillion – that would bring us to 2.4, they to 2 and we could meet in the middle and get things done quickly, ”he said. “They said ‘absolutely not.’ I said to her, ‘does this mean it’s your way as the highway?’ And they basically said ‘yes’. That’s not the way to make a deal. ”
Schumer also condemned Trump’s decision to include a payroll tax cut among the actions he signed Saturday. The minority leader claimed that the move would leave employees with “an enormous bill” when it expires. As for the idea that Trump could forgive the money in a potential second term, Schumer said such a move would result in programs for government spending that lack necessary funding.
“If you are a recipient of Social Security or a recipient of Medicare, you need to be more careful when President Trump is re-elected,” Schumer said.
Stephanopoulos also slammed Schumer over recent warnings from the intelligence community that Russia is actively interfering in the presidential election, and China has a stake in former Vice President Joe Biden winning in November.
“Does that public statement reflect exactly what is happening now?” Frege Stephanopoulos. “And what, if anything, can be done to counter the interference?”
“Yes, it is absolutely true that Russia is trying to take an interest,” the senator replied, quoting “public information” and “public statements”, noting that there is a two-pronged legislation to impose sanctions on Russia. “Trump opposes him. Why does Donald Trump not want to stop Russia from interfering in these elections? You have to ask that question. It is the source of our democracy.”
Schumer made no reference to the claims about China, and in an interview with Fox News Sunday, Pelosi said it was “not good” to draw an equality between the two countries and their actions.
Stephanopoulos further referred to remarks made by Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., In which he said the underlying intelligence about Russia’s actions was so alarming that it should be declassified.
“He says every American has a right to know. Do you agree?” asked Stephanopoulos.
“Without compromising resources, yes,” said Schumer, who also filed for divorce from Sens. Lindsey Graham, RS.C., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., For their actions through the Senate Justice and Homeland Security committees – which the pair chair, respectively – are investigating claims against Biden, which Democrats accuse include Russian disinformation.
“They should be ashamed of themselves for what they do,” he said. “Let the Russians manipulate them and us, the American people.”
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