Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 10 March 2020
Trump wants payroll tax relief to calm virus-spooked markets

By ZEKE MILLER Collins met Trump on Tues-
Associated Press day night at the White
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- House and shook hands
dent Donald Trump said with him Friday when the
Monday his administration president visited the Cen-
will ask Congress to pass ters for Disease Control and
payroll tax relief and other Prevention's Atlanta head-
quick measures as a pub- quarters.
lic health and economic Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and
maelstrom brought on by Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz.,
the coronavirus drew closer also placed themselves in
to him personally. quarantine after coming
Intending to calm the fears in contact with the same
of financial markets over person at the conservative
the impact of the epidem- conference.
ic, Trump told reporters he As well, Rep. Julia Brownley,
is seeking "very substantial D-Calif., said she met last
relief" to the payroll tax. week with a person who
Trump also said he was has since been diagnosed
seeking help for hourly- with the virus. She closed
wage workers to ensure her office and said she and
they're "not going to miss a her staff are "self-monitor-
paycheck" and "don't get President Donald Trump steps from the podium to allow Vice President Mike Pence to speak in the ing and maintaining social
penalized for something briefing room of the White House in Washington, Monday, March, 9, 2020, about the coronavirus distancing practices."
that's not their fault." outbreak. Vast numbers of visitors
He stepped forward with Associated Press come to the Hill, especially
the contours of an initia- porters earlier in the day, "Think about that!" ic advisers before emerg- at this time of year when
tive after markets dropped when arriving to headline Scientists at this stage don't ing to disclose he'll seek the advocacy groups arrange
sharply and as the out- a fundraiser in Longwood, know what the death rate payroll tax break. "fly-in" trips to lobby and
break spread. Several Florida, that raised approxi- of the new coronavirus ac- The White House has been speak to lawmakers, and
Trump confidants in Con- mately $4 million for his re- tually is and whether it will convening meetings with school groups descend for
gress disclosed they were election campaign and wind up being about the an array of travel and tours. In one manifestation
isolating themselves after the Republican Party. same as flu or worse. healthcare industry rep- of lawmaking in the age
potential exposure to the On his flight back to Wash- At the same time, admin- resentatives, and was set of the coronavirus, Rep.
virus; one traveled with the ington he was accompa- istration officials were insis- to host Wall Street execu- Richard Neal, D-Mass., ap-
president from Florida on nied by Florida Rep. Matt tent that they weren't trying tives at the White House proached a Republican
Air Force One on Monday. Gaetz, who later went into to dismiss public concerns. on Wednesday to discuss colleague on the House
Trump said he would hold a a voluntary quarantine. He "This is a very serious health the economic fallout of the floor Monday for a routine
press conference Tuesday was one of several GOP problem," Health and Hu- epidemic. congratulatory handshake
to outline the proposals, lawmakers who were ex- man Services Secretary On Capitol Hill, where after the chamber ap-
saying his administration posed to a person at last Alex Azar told Fox News. many lawmakers are older proved a bill expanding
and Congress would be month's Conservative Po- At the Pentagon, officials and have frequent con- a visa program. "Shake or
"discussing a possible pay- litical Action Conference have begun "social dis- tact with the public, lead- bump?" Neal asked Rep.
roll tax cut or relief, substan- who tested positive for the tancing" measures. ers were fielding questions Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D.
tial relief, very substantial virus. His office said he was On Monday, Defense Sec- from members and staff The two men bumped el-
relief, that's big, that's a big "mid-flight" on Air Force retary Mark Esper's regular about how the complex will bows.
number. We're also going One when CPAC informed meeting with senior staff, be secured. Leaders have Offices on Capitol Hill also
to be talking about hourly his staff that he had been in which normally would be so far shown little willing- advertised they were hold-
wage earners getting help contact with the attendee held face-to-face in a ness to close the Capitol, ing "no contact meetings"
so that they can be in a who had the virus. single room with 40 to 50 but meetings were sched- and asked guests to refrain
position where they're not Once the plane landed, participants, was broken uled throughout the day to from shaking hands.
going to ever miss a pay- Gaetz was immediately up into three rooms, with discuss preparations. The chairman of the Dem-
check." tested. video-teleconferencing On Monday, Rep. Doug ocratic caucus, Rep. Ha-
As Trump grappled with an Vice President Mike Pence, among the rooms, accord- Collins, R-Ga., and Gaetz keem Jeffries, said the
epidemic whose conse- who also spoke at CPAC, ing to the Pentagon's chief put themselves in volun- House's chief administrative
quences he has repeated- said he has not been tested spokesman, Jonathan Hoff- tary quarantine because of officer and the sergeant at
ly played down, the White for the virus. He said he did man. He said Esper and the their contacts with some- arms are expected to brief
House asserted it was con- not know whether Trump 15 to 20 people in his room, one at the Conservative Democrats at their regular
ducting "business as usual." had been tested. including Gen. Mark Mil- Political Action Confer- caucus meeting Tuesday.
But the day's business was In Monday morning tweets, ley, chairman of the Joint ence. The discussion was expect-
anything but normal. Law- Trump vented about the Chiefs of Staff, sat at least Both said they did not have ed to address whether the
makers pressed for details market drop and news that six feet apart, in line with any symptoms but would Capitol will be restricted to
on how the Capitol could large public gatherings health guidance. wait out the remainder of visitors, he said.
be made secure, hand- were being called off be- Trump was delegating the 14 days since the con- It was not immediately
shakes on the Hill were dis- cause of the virus. much of the virus response tact at home. Gaetz last clear how Trump was aim-
couraged and a Pentagon "At this moment there to Pence, who convened week wore a gas mask ing to provide assistance
meeting was broken into are 546 confirmed cases a video teleconference to to the House vote on the to employees weighing
sub-groups to minimize the of CoronaVirus, with 22 give an update on the fed- emergency funding bill for whether to stay home be-
number of people in the deaths," Trump tweeted, eral government's virus re- the virus response and said cause of illness — a crucial
same room. comparing it to seasonal in- sponse Monday afternoon he wanted to highlight how aim of public health offi-
The president himself dove fluenza and the thousands with the nation's governors. Congress could become cials seeking to curtail the
into handshakes with sup- of deaths that causes. Trump met his top econom- "petri dish" for the virus. spread of the virus.q