President Trump unexpectedly signed the COVID relief bill but continued to demand $2,000 stimulus checks for Americans while simultaneously insisting “wasteful items” be removed in their current form.
The President’s move appears to come begrudgingly after two unemployment programs were set to lapse.
Trump last week had appeared to threaten a veto of the legislation passed by Congress noting, “It’s called the COVID relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with COVID.”
Of particular disappointment were the $600 stimulus checks to the American people.
“The $900 billion package provides hard-working taxpayers with only $600 each in relief payments and not enough money is given to small businesses and in particular restaurants, whose owners have suffered so grievously,” Trump said in a video statement.
“I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 for a couple,” he added.
White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere tweeted late Sunday night that the President had done an about-face, signing the bill “providing coronavirus emergency response and relief, and for other purposes.”
???President @realDonaldTrump has signed H.R. 133, an Act making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, providing coronavirus emergency response and relief, and for other purposes.
— Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) December 28, 2020
Did Trump Cave On The COVID Relief Bill?
Trump’s sudden change of heart left many wondering if he had caved to the swamp on the bill many argued was designed more for the benefit of Congressional pet projects rather than the American people.
The President himself rattled off a massive list of pork and special interest gifts that were added to the relief package claiming, “The bill also allows stimulus checks for the family members of illegal aliens, allowing them to get up to $1,800 each.”
The COVID bill was combined with an omnibus spending bill, which contained the offending items.
Did Trump cave on the COVID bill? Reading mixed messages.
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) December 28, 2020
The reality is this – whether Americans get $600 or $2,000 stimulus checks – the only thing that is truly going to turn around the fortunes of the people will be a complete re-opening of the economy.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) opined correctly that “the only thing that can save us is opening the economy.”
To reiterate:
Handing out money isn’t the answer, but if the government is going to do it in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic, it sure as hell better be more than $600, and the bill should only focus on struggling Americans and businesses.
In the end, as we argued on these very pages, this isn’t about money from the government, it’s about the government preventing people from earning money.
Through no fault of their own people have been prevented from earning a living by governments – particularly those run by Democrat governors or Democrat mayors, but also some Republicans.
So the government needs to give those people some of their own taxpayer money back in times of crisis.
RELATED: President Trump Destroys Congress’ COVID Relief Bill, Demands More Money For The American People
Trump Still Fighting For $2,000 Stimulus Checks
Deere explained why President Trump ultimately chose to sign the bill.
“The President is signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more,” he wrote.
Still, the President is insisting “I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child.”
Deere claimed that the Democrat-led House is voting Monday on a bill to send $2,000 stimulus checks to Americans in lieu of the $600 checks included in the COVID relief bill.
On Monday the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000. Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200.
— Judd Deere (@JuddPDeere45) December 28, 2020
Did President Trump strike a deal to get the American people those $2,000 stimulus checks?
The President also said he would “send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item,” of what he considers wasteful spending projects, “accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill.”
That part seems more like wishful thinking by the President.
