- President Trump indicated in an interview with “Fox News Sunday” presenter Chris Wallace that he cannot sign another coronavirus stimulus bill if it does not include a payroll tax cut.
- The White House and Republicans in Congress are reportedly considering new measures for a future bill, as the federal unemployment boost of $ 600 per week will expire later this week.
- Trump said he “will have to” but “would consider not signing it if we don’t have a payroll tax cut.”
- However, a payroll tax cut would only benefit those who are currently employed, would help those who earn more, and would do nothing to help the unemployed.
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President Donald Trump indicated in an interview with “Fox News Sunday” presenter Chris Wallace that he cannot sign another coronavirus stimulus bill if it does not include a payroll tax cut.
Currently, the White House and top Republicans in Congress are weighing up what a future stimulus package might look like, as the additional federal unemployment benefit of $ 600 per week that Congress passed for several states as part of the CARES Act in April will run in six days on July 25.
“The stimulus bill is running out later this month. Republicans say they want liability limits, which Democrats don’t like, you say you want a payroll tax cut, which even some Republicans are good. Do you just sign a bill with those two provisions? “Wallace asked.
“Let’s see, but we need protections because companies are going to be sued just because – you don’t know where this virus is coming from, they will sit in a restaurant, they will sue the restaurant, the guy is out of business,” Trump said, referring to a Federal provision that would protect businesses like restaurants from being sued by people who claim to contract COVID-19 at those establishments.
“So we need some kind of immunity. Just like you need immunity for the police, like it or not, you need immunity for the police. But you do need a form of immunity,” he continued, accusing Democrats of being controlled by the legal lobby.
When Wallace pressed him about the payroll tax cut, Trump said he “will have to” but “he would consider not signing it if we don’t have a payroll tax cut, yes.”
Trump has vigorously lobbied for payroll tax to be cut throughout the pandemic, but such a move would only provide limited relief for those who still have jobs, benefit more high-income people who pay more in taxes, and do nothing. to help Americans who don’t have a job. The unemployment rate for June reached 11.1% with the increase in the number of people who permanently lost their jobs.
And as Wallace referenced, not all Republicans have been excited or on board with the idea of a payroll tax cut for previous rounds of stimulus negotiations.
On Sunday, The Washington Post reported that in light of federal unemployment benefits of $ 600 per week about to run out in less than a week, the White House and top Senate Republicans are considering measures including extending a benefit of weekly federal federal minor scale unemployment of $ 200 or $ 400 per week or media evidence of future federal unemployment benefits.
While Republicans are trying to limit the size and scope of a future stimulus package as much as possible, some experts told the Post that testing a future federal unemployment benefit could pose an even greater administrative burden on employment agencies. States that are already overworked, many of whom struggle to process claims as they are and leave millions waiting for benefits.
