After bipartisan supermajorities passed a compromise coronavirus relief package Monday, President Trump took to Twitter to criticize Congress’ efforts. What happens if he vetoes the bill?
Summary
Just a day after the House and Senate passed government funding and coronavirus relief legislation, President Trump took to social media to blast the legislation and threaten to veto it without changes.
- Trump called the bill, which in addition to providing coronavirus relief also funded government operations (an appropriations process conducted annually), a “disgrace” filled with “wasteful spending.”
- Many outlets have highlighted provisions falling under the general funding of government as evidence of “unrelated”provisions “tucked into” covid relief and “controversial provisions” like foreign aid being added.
- The bill Trump is threatening to veto was crafted with cooperation and input from Trump’s Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin.
- There was no indication President Trump would veto the bill while the White House was working with Congressional leadership to craft the bill according to Reuters.
- One of Trump’s demanded changes is to increase the size of stimulus checks for Americans from $600 to $2,000.
- Speaker Pelosi seized on Trump’s remarks, announcing she will bring the issue of increasing the stimulus payments to the House floor on December 24th through a process called “unanimous consent”, which would require just one Member of Congress to oppose it for it to fail.
- Trump’s announcement is a threat that could “derail months of bipartisan work” according to The New York Times.
- Tucked into CNN’s reporting are grumblings among White House staff who did not know the President was filming a video for social media to blast the bill, with one press official saying Trump will sign it just an hour before Trump’s social media post.
- Huffington Post framed the story in the context of putting Republicans, particularly Georgia Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, in difficult positions, who have to decide whether to object to larger coronavirus relief payments in the heat of their run-off election.
- Fox News’ reporting characterized the developments as “unexpected”, having produced an alliance between President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Breitbart’s article exclusively focused on Trump’s criticism of Congress and the government-funding provisions that did not address coronavirus, painting Trump positively while disparaging the legislative branch.
- The Wall Street Journal characterized Trump’s announcement as having “stunned Washington” after both sides gave ground in negotiating the final relief package, and said Trump’s criticism and possible veto “is likely to delay payments to Americans.”
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© Dallas Gerber, 2020
