Trump to veto second stimulus check: what did he say about a $2000 payment and the bill?
Trump has put the fate of stimulus package in doubt calling it a "disgrace" telling Congress to “amend it” or it will be left to the next administration.
In a four-minute video President Trump attacked the $900 billion in covid-19 relief aid passed by Congress on Monday conflating it with the larger bill it is part of. The larger bill funds government operations for the rest of the fiscal year. A day after the bill landed on his desk, Trump said that he wants Congress to go back and remove spending that doesn’t go to Americans and increase the stimulus direct payment to $2000 for individuals from the $600 agreed to by Congress.
The president said the bill was a "disgrace" and asked for substantial changes to a bill that has taken months to negotiate. He signed a stopgap spending measure which keeps the government funded until Monday when it appeared the bill totalling $2.3 trillion wouldn’t make the midnight deadline to reach his desk.
Congress finally managed to reach an agreement after months of failed attempts, passing the legislation which keeps the government open and provides covid-19 relief just minutes before the midnight deadline. The legislation was attached to must-pass funding to keep the government functioning to ensure that some relief would be passed before the lawmakers went home for the Christmas holiday.
What did trump say about the stimulus bill?
During his video Trump said that the bill "has almost nothing to do with" covid-19 relief and that Congress needed to amend the bill. Trump shredded the legislation for including money appropriated as part of the overall government spending including for foreign aid, environmental programs and cultural institutions, calling them "wasteful,” adding "This is far more than the Americans are given." He added "I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 (stimulus payment) to $2,000 or $4,000 for a couple."
House Speaker took Trump up on his offer to renegotiate the stimulus checks via Twitter responding to him “Republicans repeatedly refused to say what amount the President wanted for direct checks. At last, the President has agreed to $2,000 — Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!”
Can Congress change the bill as Trump wants?
Many lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the legislation and President-elect Joe Biden has called it a “down payment” saying that he will ask for a new round of payments in the next relief bill. Congress had very little time to read over the details of the legislation which Trump made reference to in his video. However Congress can't amend the bill now that it has been passed, instead the lawmakers would need to write new legislation.
Trump didn’t directly say that he would veto the legislation but made the inference that he would saying "I'm also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation and to send me a suitable bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid relief package."
Even if President Trump vetoes the bill Congress can override any veto. The legislation passed by veto-proof majorities in both the House, 359 to 53, and the Senate, 92-6. Congress was already preparing to override a potential veto of the defense bill the President has threatened.