Trump calls on Congress to approve $2,000 stimulus checks, hinting that he might not sign [View all]
Last edited Wed Dec 23, 2020, 05:04 PM - Edit history (1)
Source: Washington Post
President Trump Tuesday night asked Congress to amend the nearly $900 billion stimulus and spending bill passed by the Senate just one day before, describing the groundbreaking legislation as "a disgrace" and suggesting he would not immediately sign off on aid for millions of Americans.
In a video posted to Twitter, Trump called on Congress to increase the "ridiculously low" $600 stimulus checks to $2,000, and outlined a list of provisions in the final legislation that he described as "wasteful spending and much more." He did not mention that the $600 stimulus check idea came from his own Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin.
"I am also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation, and to send me a suitable bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a covid relief package, and maybe that administration will be me," Trump said.
Some aides were stunned that Trump weighed in the way he did after his economic team had publicly praised the bill. But administration officials had negotiated the bill with lawmakers in the final days without explicitly securing Trump's approval, aides said. He had largely been distracted with overturning the results of the presidential election.
Trump had long wanted to do more than $600 in checks and kept asking aides why they couldn't agree to a bigger number, an official said. He released the video on Tuesday after a number of his aides, including Mark Meadows, were already out of town. "So dumb," one administration official said. "So, so dumb."
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/12/22/trump-stimulus-video-bill/
Full headline: Trump calls on Congress to approve $2,000 stimulus checks, hinting that he might not sign economic relief bill into law without changes
There is easily enough votes in both chambers to override a veto however we are now 10 days out from the end of this Congressional session which means not signing it could become a "pocket veto", might not be overridable.
The Senate has generally stopped adjourning to avoid recess appointments but I'm not sure what their schedule is at the moment.
ETA - I just saw this OP - https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142653030 where Congress is scheduled to reconvene after Christmas to be ready to override a veto to the NDAA.
ETA 1 -
to ForgoTheConsequence
Link to tweet
TEXT
@SpeakerPelosi
Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, 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!
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Embedded video
8:33 PM · Dec 22, 2020
= new reply since forum marked as read