TRUMP THREATENS TO NOT SIGN $900B STIMULUS PACKAGE, SAYS AMERICANS NEED MORE HELP

Wed 23 December 2020:

President Donald Trump has rejected a $900 billion bipartisan Covid stimulus package, calling it “a disgrace” and demanding that lawmakers more than triple relief payments to Americans, and called on the House and Senate to send him a new bill with more help for small business and larger stimulus checks.

In a four-minute video harangue posted on Twitter, Trump suggested he might not sign the legislation Congress overwhelmingly passed on Monday night, which included $900 billion in coronavirus relief and $1.4 trillion to fund the government until October.

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— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 23, 2020

“[A] few months ago, Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently needed help to the American people. It’s taken forever. However, the bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated. It really is a disgrace,” Trump said in the video.

“Despite all of this wasteful spending and much more, the $900 billion package provides hardworking 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.” He said he wanted taxpayers’ checks to be $2,000 each.

Trump’s demands come after Congress has already left town for the Christmas holiday. The Senate is supposed to return Dec. 29, a day after government funding is set to expire, in order to override a possible veto on another bill with strong bipartisan backing: the National Defense Authorization Act.