President Donald Trump.Photo: Erin Schaff - Pool/Getty
PresidentDonald Trumpsigned the $2.3 trillion government funding deal into law Sunday night after causing an unnecessary and much-maligned delay in its approval.
In addition to extending unemployment benefits for the millions left without jobs due to thecoronavirus pandemic,the bill will also give $600 direct payments to each adult making less than $75,000, with a reduced amount for those making up to $87,000 and none above that. (There aresome exceptions.) People would also receive $600 per child.
The news of Trump signing the deal comes after he sent Congress into a panic last week when he suggested he would veto the bill if it was not revised to increase direct payments to $2,000 and to remove numerous spending measures he disliked — ahead of a government shutdown that is set to begin this Tuesday, Dec. 29.
After Congress passed the $900 billionstimulus package(which was part of the relief bill) on Dec. 21, Trump posted a speechon Dec. 22, in which he called the bill a “disgrace” anddemandedthat direct payments to Americans be up to $2,000.
“I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 for a couple,” Trump said.
Democrats in the House of Representatives had always envisioned a much larger relief bill and more direct payments before compromising with Republicans. After Trump’s call for $2,000 checks, Democrat Richard Nealintroduced an amendmentto the larger stimulus package last Thursday, which would “increase recovery rebate amounts to $2,000 for individuals.”
McCarthy mentioned nothing in his letter about including larger payments in the package, per the president’s request.
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In astatement released Thursday, Nancy Pelosi assailed Republicans for “obstructing” the measure.
“Today, on Christmas Eve morning, House Republicans cruelly deprived the American people of the $2,000 that the President agreed to support. If the President is serious about the $2,000 direct payments, he must call on House Republicans to end their obstruction,” the statement read.
On Sunday night, Pelosi called Trump’s signing of the original bill"welcome news,“but then urged him to “call on Congressional Republicans to end their obstruction” of the stand-alone legislation to increase direct payment checks to $2,000.
“Every Republican vote against this bill is a vote to deny the financial hardship that families face and to deny the American people the relief they need,” she said in a statement.
source: people.com
