There was hardly a soul in the U.S. Capitol on Monday, reflecting the lack of optimism for a new coronavirus reload amid the emerging debt game between Democrats and Republicans.
President Trump said at a White House briefing on Monday night that four executive orders he signed Saturday will provide at least temporary relief amid gridlock on Capitol Hill.
‘They hurt people a lot. This would have been so easy for them to do, “Trump told Democrats in Congress.
Among his executive orders, Trump said, “a lot of money will go to a lot of people very quickly, and I have instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to move as soon as possible.”
Trump signed orders to impose a moratorium on federal eviction, extend student loan extensions, supplement a $ 400 weekly unemployment benefit and cut some taxes on incomes below $ 104,000.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, who is leading negotiations with Democrats, said at the briefing that “most of the states can implement the new weekly supplement” in the next week or two. “
Mnuchin said he had not spoken to either House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Or Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Monday.
Schumer on Monday dismissed Trump’s sweeping executive orders over corandavirus pandemic relief as “all sizzle, now steak.” He said Trump’s pandemic missions were insufficient and difficult to implement following a split in talks on legislation.
“President Trump’s executive orders are hardly worth the paper they are printed on,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Executive orders in general will not get the job done, especially the incompetent ones issued over the weekend … Trump’s recent executive orders are so unintentional in terms of meeting America’s great needs as pathetic. to be. “
Trump said he had to act after talks broke down. Democrats initially pushed the Republicans into the cave and passed a $ 3.4 trillion plan, including $ 1 trillion in bailouts for state and local governments, which Republicans oppose. On Friday, Democrats publicly offered to meet Republicans half $ 2 trillion, but details remained vague.
The gridlock resulted in a previous moratorium on evictions disappearing last month and the expiration of a $ 600 unemployment supplement.
Without federal protection, an estimated 23 million people could have eviction by October. More than 30 million people benefit from state unemployment and could benefit from a federal supplement.
The lack of progress in talks means some broad ideas for two parties, such as another round of $ 1,200 stimulus checks and more than $ 100 billion in funds to help schools reopen safely in the fall, remain in flux.
Schumer did not criticize Trump for proposing student loans, but said the other three executive orders were not good enough.
Schumer said the order to stop evictions “is the best example of all sauces and not steak. It does not even guarantee a moratorium on evictions. It only instructs federal agencies to “review and review if appropriate to stop expulsions.” ”
“What that means in jargon here is, ‘Let’s not do it,'” he asserted.
Delaying Trump’s tax cuts “would do next to nothing to help our workers like the economy,” Schumer insists. He argued that taxes should be paid in December when the suspension ends – although Trump is pushing Congress to forgive the amounts.
The $ 400 unemployment supplement, meanwhile, “is so compounded with spit and glue that in all likelihood many states will not implement it at all,” Schumer said.
Under the Trump order, $ 300 would come from federal funds and $ 100 from state funds, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Monday.
The Democratic House of Representatives does not intend to vote until September 14, although lawmakers will be given 24 hours to vote if there is a vote on coronavirus legislation.
House Speaker Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of the inconvenience and said money for the state and local governments was a major sticking point.
“Democrats think they smell like an opening. “They have wanted Uncle Sam for years to mismanage and make broken policies in places like New York, New Jersey and California,” McConnell said Monday afternoon.
“President Trump has taken steps to soften the blow of the Democrats’ hostage tactics on American families,” McConnell said.
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