Trump approves $2.3T relief aid and COVID-19 package

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• President Donald Trump signed the coronavirus bill on Sunday, with highlighted changes, preventing a potential shutdown of the government as the pandemic continues to surge across the country.
• On Saturday, some of the CARES Act provisions have expired such as the unemployment benefits package. 
• Nita Lowey, chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee said that any revisions on the bill proposed by Trump will likely be disregarded.

On Sunday, President Trump approved the government aid and COVID-19 relief package, as reported by the White House, avoiding a possible government shutdown and bringing financial aid as the outbreak aggravates.

Following the president’s discontent over the disbursements drawn in the omnibus and commented that the economic aid should consist of $2,000 direct payments per individual, Trump gave a green light on the $2.3 trillion-package while on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

As of Saturday, the bill was still unsigned as Trump almost took the government to a possible shutdown while joblessness benefits have ended for millions of  Americans.

With almost no public presence since Trump arrived at his Florida golf club on Wednesday, he appeared on Sunday before signing the bill.

In a statement released after signing the legislation, the president said he would “sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed.”

However, Trump’s request to Congress to omit some of the items under the deal is already met by opposition, an indication that congressional frontrunners will most likely disregard it.

Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman confirmed in a statement that they will discard any rescissions forwarded by Trump, as her group has the jurisdiction over the changes.

Trump’s pronouncement was sometimes about self-admiring even if he played a major on the ambiguity of the previous week.

Trump endorsed his work with Congress in making CARES Act into law early this year, which he claimed saved  America from another potential Great Depression, although it was Steven Mnuchin, Treasury Secretary, who acted as the White House’s chief negotiator.

And while the president bragged that he would approve the bill to reinstate the COVID-19 economic package to help the Americans, the unemployment benefits program has expired on Saturday, and the eviction suspension would have followed next if Trump did not sign.

In the same statement, the president also said that he would push for $2,000 checks, adding that the lower Chamber and Senate have decided to scrutinize the November 3 Presidential election for the apparent massive voter fraud.

Although the lower House will decide on Monday about the bill that would revise the $600 in the COVID-19 relief aid to $2,000, it was expected that the Senate, including Trump allies, will oppose more budget for stimulus checks.

Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., House Speaker, said in a statement they disregarded Trump’s demand for repealing some of the legislation’s funding, as well as the call for voter fraud inquiry.

Source: The Hill