US Political News – Trump Not Happy with the COVID Relief Package
We recently reported that the House of Representatives and Senate had overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan COVID relief bill. The bill came in at $900 billion, then sent to the President’s desk to be signed; which everyone believed was a formality. That has proven not to be the case, though, with President Trump calling the package “a disgrace.”
The complaints, which the President addressed in a 5-minute video; were with the COVID package; as well as other details in the $1.4 trillion government spending bill, which was attached to the relief package.
The most significant area of concern was that American citizens are set to receive $600 each as part of the relief package. Trump made clear that the amount should be raised to $2,000; per person, suggesting that Congress amend the bill to reflect the number that he wants families to receive.
Besides that issue; Trump was also displeased with details in the government spending package, particularly the amount of money set aside for foreign aid, which Trump believes is too much.
What Happens From Here?
Trump has found an unlikely ally after the release of his video; with Nancy Pelosi stating that Democrats are ready to head back to the Floor and vote by unanimous consent; to increase the bill’s amount from $600 to $2,000.
The President has yet to veto the bill; something that may prove impossible to do given the overwhelming majority vote to have the bill passed in the first place.
That aside; it remains unsigned, which puts into doubt the claims made by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin; who claimed that American citizens would start receiving relief checks by as early as next week.
By all accounts; the video released by the President came as a shock to most Republicans. Most believed that he would sign the bill with no complaints.
This was true, the President had largely steered clear of the negotiations; which had gone on for months before the $900 billion bill finally passed. Thursday seems to be a critical date in all of this; as that is when it seems most likely that House Democrats will try to get the unanimous vote; for the $2,000 relief checks demanded by the President.
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