President Donald Trump on Saturday signed four executive orders seeking to provide financial relief for American families struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic's economic paralysis in a political stunt meant to boost his flagging re-election campaign.
Signed by Trump at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey were four executive orders. Together, these orders lower taxes for workers through the end of the year; extend the federal weekly unemployment benefit but at only $400 per week compared to the previous $600; renew the moratorium on evictions during the pandemic, and defer student loan payments and interest until the end of the year.
Political pundits say Trump's executive orders are clearly intended to bypass the House of Representatives, which is controlled by Democrats. By law, only the House can appropriate and spend federal money.
It's unclear where Trump intends to get the money to fund the promises in his executive orders, which will cost billions of dollars. Democrats are expected to sue Trump for breaching the constitutionally mandated separation of powers clause. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called Trump's actions "half-baked."
Trump signed the orders after Democratic Party leaders and top White House officials on Friday admitted talks to craft a compromise fourth coronavirus relief package had failed again.
Separate statements from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), as well as from treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows confirmed no progress had been made at all to close the enormous gap between Democrats and Republicans.
Pelosi and Schumer said they were willing to total funding demand of $3 trillion by $1 trillion if the White House increased its $1 trillion offer by $1 trillion. The White House rejected the proposal outright.
The Democrats' HEROES Act passed by the House on May 15 provides for more than $3 trillion in relief and other money for American families, students, doctors and states, among others. In contrast, the Senate Republicans' HEALS Act revealed July 27 only wants the federal government to spend some $1 trillion to help American families cope with the pandemic.
Trump said $300 of the $400 weekly jobless benefit will come from the federal government, and $100 (or 25%) will come from the states. Many states will be unable to comply as the pandemic has ravaged their finances.
"We don't have that money," said an official from a northeastern state run by a Democratic governor.
States have asked Congress to provide them with an additional $500 billion to prop-up their budgets crushed by the loss of tax revenue due to the pandemic. Democrats provided for this additional aid in their HEROES Act while Republicans don't want to bail out states run by Democrats.
"We have repeatedly stated our willingness to immediately sign legislation providing extended unemployment benefits, protecting Americans from eviction and providing additional relief payments to families," said Trump before signing the orders.
Pelosi and Schumer criticized Trump's executive actions. They blasted it as "meager" and accusied Trump of not grasping the severity of the current crisis.
"We're disappointed that instead of putting in the work to solve Americans' problems, the President instead chose to stay on his luxury golf course to announce unworkable, weak and narrow policy announcements to slash the unemployment benefits that millions desperately need and endanger seniors' Social Security and Medicare," said Pelosi and Schumer in a joint statement.
