Stimulus Bill. A last-minute hurdle
Not even a day after lawmakers agreed on a $900 billion stimulus package, President Trump called it a “disgrace” and suggested that he might reject the heavily negotiated bill at the eleventh hour.
“It has almost nothing to do with Covid,” he said in a video posted online that attacked the initiative on multiple fronts. He criticized the combining of the stimulus with a broader spending bill that would fund various government functions, and demanded that direct payments to Americans be more than doubled, to $2,000 from $600. That’s despite the deal having been negotiated by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Senate Republicans having resisted sizable direct checks.
Mr. Trump suggested that unless the funding provisions were carved out and the direct payouts increased, he would reject the package (though he didn’t use the word veto).
Reactions to the threat were split:
Trump administration officials were stunned, while lawmakers worried about the federal government shutting down on Dec. 29 if the president doesn’t sign the bill. Both parties are also concerned about the politics of holding up federal aid as they prepare for runoff elections in Georgia that could determine control of the Senate.
Democratic leaders egged Mr. Trump on, hoping to enlist him as an unlikely ally in providing more direct aid to Americans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi retweeted Mr. Trump’s message, adding, “The President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”
Congress could still push through the existing deal. The House and Senate each approved the bill with overwhelming majorities, meaning that they could override a veto. Lawmakers are already preparing to push through a military spending bill that Mr. Trump has threatened to reject because it doesn’t eliminate a legal liability shield for internet platforms.
This would require cooperation between Democrats and Republicans, and it’s unclear how hard Democrats will push for the increased direct payouts.
Market futures were up this morning, suggesting that investors were shrugging off Mr. Trump’s threat.
The New York Times