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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 29 December 2020

Trump reluctantly signs COVID aid, sparks fresh fight in GOP

“a redlined version” with
spending items he wants re- Altogether, Republicans and
moved, those are merely sug- Democrats alike swiftly wel-
gestions to Congress. The comed Trump's decision to
bill, as signed, would not sign the bill into law.
necessarily be changed.
“The compromise bill is
For now, the administration not perfect, but it will do an
can only begin work sending enormous amount of good
out the $600 payments. for struggling Kentuckians
and Americans across the
Democrats, who have the country who need help now,”
majority in the House, “will said Senate Majority Leader
reject any rescissions” sub- Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. “I
mitted by the president, said thank the President for sign-
Rep. Nita Lowey of New ing this relief into law."
York, chair of the Appropria-
tions Committee. Others slammed Trump's de-
lay in turning the bill into law.
But Trump nonetheless con- In a tweet, Rep. Gerry Con-
tinued to try to spin his foot- nolly, D-Va., accused Trump
dragging as a win, telling al- of having “played Russian
lies he’d won concessions by roulette with American lives.
forcing the removal of what A familiar and comfortable
he dubbed “Christmas trees” place for him.”
(AP) — Shelving his ob- public health crisis. months of negotiations with from the spending bill. A day
jections, President Don- his administration. after the signing, he was back Senate Democratic leader
ald Trump has signed a $2 Aside from added unemploy- at the golf course in Florida, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.,
trillion-plus COVID-19 ment benefits and relief pay- The president's defiant re- where he is expected to move said he would offer Trump’s
and annual federal spend- ments to families, the pack- fusal to act, publicized with a after President-elect Joe proposal for $2,000 checks
ing package providing re- age provides money for vac- heated video he tweeted just Biden is sworn in on January for a vote in Senate — put-
lief for millions of Ameri- cine distribution, businesses, before the Christmas holi- 20. ting Republicans on the spot.
cans, even as Congress transit systems and much day, sparked chaos, a lapse in
returns to confront the more. It extends pandemic- unemployment benefits for Republican Rep. Mo Brooks “The House will pass a bill
White House on remain- era protections against evic- millions and the threat of a of Alabama, a conservative to give Americans $2,000
ing priorities in a rare tions as well. government shutdown in who supported Trump's ex- checks," Schumer tweeted.
end-of-session showdown. the pandemic. It was anoth- traordinary and futile chal- “Then I will move to pass it
Together with votes Mon- er crisis of his own making, lenge of the election results, in the Senate.” He said no
Trump appears to have ac- day and Tuesday to override resolved when he ultimately counted himself Monday Democrats will object. "Will
complished little, if any- Trump’s veto of a sweeping signed the bill into law. among the opponents of a Senate Republicans?”
thing, from the days of drama defense bill, the action is per- more generous relief package
over his refusal to accept the haps the last standoff of the In his statement about the and Trump's call for higher Democrats are promising
sweeping bipartisan deal. president’s final days in office signing, Trump repeated his payments. more aid to come once Biden
While the president's de- as he imposes fresh demands frustrations with the CO- takes office, but Republicans
mands for larger $2,000 pan- and disputes the results of VID-19 relief bill for provid- “It’s money we don’t have, are signaling a wait-and-see
demic relief checks seem des- the presidential election. The ing only $600 checks to most we have to borrow to get and approach.
tined to fail, his push served new Congress is set to be Americans and complained we can’t afford to pay back,"
up a political opportunity for sworn in Sunday. about what he considered he said on “Fox and Friends." In the face of growing eco-
Democrats, who support the unnecessary spending, par- nomic hardship, spreading
larger stipends and are forc- House Speaker Nancy Pe- ticularly on foreign aid — But Republican Rep. Elise disease and a looming shut-
ing Trump's Republican allies losi, D-Calif., seized on the much of it proposed by his Stefanik of New York said down, lawmakers spent Sun-
into a tough spot. divide between the president own budget. she was open to the idea of day urging Trump to sign the
and his party, urging Trump $2,000 checks. “Many Amer- legislation immediately, then
On Monday, the Democrat- to put pressure on his Senate While the president insisted icans are in dire need of re- have Congress follow up
ic-led House is set to vote to GOP allies to pass the bill. he would send Congress lief," she said on the show. with additional aid.
boost the $600 payments to
$2,000, sending a new bill to “The President must imme-
the Senate. There, Republi- diately call on Congressional
cans have the majority but Republicans to end their ob-
oppose more spending and struction and to join him and
are likely to defeat the effort. Democrats in support of our
stand-alone legislation to in-
The showdown offers more crease direct payment checks
symbol than substance, and to $2,000,” Pelosi said in a
it's not expected to alter the tweet.
massive package that Trump
reluctantly signed into law Trump's sudden decision to
late Sunday in Florida, where sign the bill came as he faced
he is spending the holidays. escalating criticism from
The $900 billion in COVID lawmakers on all sides over
aid and $1.4 trillion to fund his eleventh-hour demands.
government agencies will The bipartisan bill negoti-
deliver long-sought cash to ated by Treasury Secretary
businesses and individuals Steven Mnuchin had already
and avert a federal govern- passed the House and Sen-
ment shutdown that oth- ate by wide margins. Law-
erwise would have started makers had thought they
Tuesday, in the midst of the had Trump's blessing after