Trump threatens executive order amid US stimulus talks stalemate
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Washington — President Donald Trump said he expected to sign orders on Friday or Saturday extending enhanced unemployment benefits and imposing a payroll-tax holiday as legislators have been unable to reach agreement on stimulus legislation that includes those measures.
Trump, speaking to reporters on Thursday before leaving on a trip to Ohio, said he also expected to sign orders on eviction protection and on student loan repayment. Unilateral action by Trump would probably set up a legal fight over presidential authority.
Trump made the comments after House speaker Nancy Pelosi said negotiations on a new virus relief package were making progress, though the two sides still have major differences as their self-imposed Friday deadline for a deal looms.
Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer are scheduled to meet later on Thursday with treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for another round of negotiations to try to bridge the gap on the cost and breadth of another stimulus plan.
The Trump administration has been discussing tapping unspent stimulus money from the $2-trillion stimulus passed in March to fund executive orders.
Eviction moratorium
Pelosi said on Thursday that she would support Trump extending the eviction moratorium for renters, but said additional funding must be approved by Congress. “I don’t think they know what they’re talking about” in looking to tap unspent stimulus money, she said.
After more than a week of negotiations with Mnuchin and Meadows, Schumer and Pelosi said they still have significant differences, including over the enhanced unemployment benefit that was in the last stimulus bill but now has expired.
The talks take on added urgency as time passes. The November general election is 89 days away and economic data show signs that the economy is still hobbling along. The labour department reported that applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected, to the lowest since the pandemic started. But with claims still exceeding a million on a weekly basis, the job market has a long road to fully recovering.
Effectiveness questioned
Senate finance committee chair Chuck Grassley said that the payroll-tax suspension does not make sense economically.
“For tax policy to make a big difference it’s got to be long term,” said Grassley, an Iowa Republican. “I’m not going to advise anything until I find out whether he thinks he’s got the legal authority to do it.”
Grassley said he doubts Trump ...
Trump, speaking to reporters on Thursday before leaving on a trip to Ohio, said he also expected to sign orders on eviction protection and on student loan repayment. Unilateral action by Trump would probably set up a legal fight over presidential authority.
Trump made the comments after House speaker Nancy Pelosi said negotiations on a new virus relief package were making progress, though the two sides still have major differences as their self-imposed Friday deadline for a deal looms.
Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer are scheduled to meet later on Thursday with treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for another round of negotiations to try to bridge the gap on the cost and breadth of another stimulus plan.
The Trump administration has been discussing tapping unspent stimulus money from the $2-trillion stimulus passed in March to fund executive orders.
Eviction moratorium
Pelosi said on Thursday that she would support Trump extending the eviction moratorium for renters, but said additional funding must be approved by Congress. “I don’t think they know what they’re talking about” in looking to tap unspent stimulus money, she said.
After more than a week of negotiations with Mnuchin and Meadows, Schumer and Pelosi said they still have significant differences, including over the enhanced unemployment benefit that was in the last stimulus bill but now has expired.
The talks take on added urgency as time passes. The November general election is 89 days away and economic data show signs that the economy is still hobbling along. The labour department reported that applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected, to the lowest since the pandemic started. But with claims still exceeding a million on a weekly basis, the job market has a long road to fully recovering.
Effectiveness questioned
Senate finance committee chair Chuck Grassley said that the payroll-tax suspension does not make sense economically.
“For tax policy to make a big difference it’s got to be long term,” said Grassley, an Iowa Republican. “I’m not going to advise anything until I find out whether he thinks he’s got the legal authority to do it.”
Grassley said he doubts Trump ...