Although President Donald Trump signed a $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government spending package Sunday night, preventing a government shutdown in the nick of time, he vowed that his work is not yet finished.
Trump signed the deal on December 27, one day after millions of Americans lost their pandemic-related jobless benefits. The new stimulus package will reinstate those enhanced unemployment benefits, prevent evictions, provide $600 stimulus checks, offer rental assistance and aid small businesses struggling to stay open during the pandemic, among other measures, according to Business Insider.
In a statement obtained by CNN, Trump announced that he is sending a “redlined version” of the bill back to Congress. The version will feature an item by item breakdown and formal rescission request insisting that any “wasteful items” be removed from the bill, he continued in the statement.
Trump says he signed covid relief package in a statement that includes the kind of lies we would hear in his photo ops. One of the glaring lies is that “the House and Senate have agreed to focus strongly on the very substantial voter fraud…” from the election. (Not true)
Trump also assured that “much more money is coming,” according to the December 27 statement, calling for an increase in the $600 direct payments included in the package.
“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” he said Sunday. “Much more money is coming. I will never give up my fight for the American people!”
On December 21, the House of Representatives and Senate approved the $900 billion stimulus package, breaking a months-long stalemate over the overall price tag, Business Insider continued. The relief proposal was combined “with a $1.4 trillion government funding omnibus bill, which includes a wide range of provisions — including making illegal streaming a felony,” the outlet said.
Here’s what you need to know:
Trump Slammed the $900 Billion Relief Bill as A ‘Disgrace’ 5 Days Before Signing It
On December 22, Trump threatened to veto the $900 billion stimulus package approved by Congress, slamming parts of it as “wasteful spending.”
In a video posted to his Twitter account, Trump claimed the bill was insufficient in meeting the financial needs of the American public.
“The bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated,” Trump said in the clip. “I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation, and to send me a suitable bill.”
He demanded Congress increase the “ridiculously low” stimulus checks to $2,000 per individual, the video shows. Under the new bill, $600 payments are slated per individual and $600 per child. Those who made more than $75,000 in 2019 are expected to receive less, CNBC said.
The House Will Vote on Monday, December 28, on a Standalone Bill That Includes $2,000 Checks
This Christmas Eve morning, House Republicans cruelly deprived the American people of the $2,000 checks Trump agreed to support. On Monday, the House will hold a vote on our stand-alone bill to increase economic impact payments to $2,000.
On Thursday, December 24, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she “will bring the House” back to session on Monday, December 28, for “a recorded vote on our standalone bill to increase economic impact payments to $2,000.”
House Democrats earlier that morning scrambled to schedule a vote to increase the amount of stimulus checks included in the bipartisan proposal following Trump’s request, according to NBC News. Republicans quickly killed the bill, the outlet continued, “throwing into further doubt the future of any imminent financial relief for millions of struggling Americans.”
Pelosi later criticized Republicans for “cruelly” depriving Americans of “the $2,000 that the President agreed to support,” according to the December 24 release.
“If the President is serious about the $2,000 direct payments, he must call on House Republicans to end their obstruction,” the House speaker stated.
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