President Donald Trump took executive action on Saturday to extend the weekly enhanced unemployment payment at a reduced level.
He signed a memorandum during a press conference on Saturday afternoon as the negotiations between the White House and the Democrats collapsed.
The new payment will be $400 per week. The federal government will cover 75 percent of the cost while the states will pay the rest, he said.
The president said that some governors might not be happy with the actions, suggesting that he didnt negotiate with all governors before the announcement.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) didnt immediately respond to an email request for comment.
The president also, via executive orders or memorandums, deferred payroll tax for Americans earning less than $100,000 per year from Sept. 1, authorized The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to offer eviction protections to renters and homeowners, and extended the term of relief to student loan borrowers from Sept. 30 to the end of the year.
The payment—which was authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and was $600 per week on top of existing unemployment benefits—expired on July 31. The White House and the Democrats failed to reach a deal on extending the payment.
The White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin started negotiations with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Aug. 1.
“At this point, its clear Democrats want to play politics with American jobs,” Meadows wrote in a Twitter post right before Trumps press conference. “Since Democrats wont step up and do their job, @realdonaldtrump will do it for them.”
At this point, its clear Democrats want to play politics with American jobs.
To workers all over the country: D.C. Democrats may not have your back, but President Trump does.
Since Democrats wont step up and do their job, @realdonaldtrump will do it for them.
— Mark Meadows (@MarkMeadows) August 8, 2020
There are several areas in which the two sides disagree with each other. The Democrats want a comprehensive stimulus package costing $3.4 trillion, while the White House prefers a smaller bill as the first step in addressing the most important issues, including an extension of enhanced unemployment payments and eviction protections for tenants.
Pelosi and Schumer also want $915 billion in aid for state and local governments included in the bill, to which the White House offered $150 billion.
Trump said on Saturday that many requirements from the Democrats are irrelevant to the outbreak, including bailout money for states and local governments, articles to banRead More From Source
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