House Fails to Unanimously Approve $2,000 COVID-19 Stimulus Payments to Americans

by Yehudit Garmaise

After President Donald Trump demanded on Tuesday that the U.S. Congress change its $2.3 trillion coronavirus federal rescue package by cutting its strange, large payments to foreign governments, and instead, increasing its payments from $600 to $2,000 to Americans, the House Democrats responded in kind by introducing the Caring for Americans with Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020, which would provide eligible Americans with $2,000 stimulus checks.

   Although Democrats sought to unanimously approve President Trump’s request that $600 stimulus checks be increased to $2,000, Congress said today that no COVID-19 stimulus money would be approved until next week at the earliest because most legislators are home for the winter holidays.

   The motion to increase the stimulus payment was refused consideration under House policy because Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) had not consented.

    “It’s called the COVID relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with COVID,” said President Trump, who criticized the billions that Congress earmarked for Cambodia, Burma, Egypt, countries in Central America, and $25 million for “democracy and gender programs” in Pakistan.

    The president also ridiculed the bill for including $40 million for the Kennedy Center, $1 billion for the Smithsonian, and $154 for the National Gallery of Art.

   “Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries and lobbyists and special interests, while sending the bare minimum to the American people who need it,” said Trump, who also criticized the stimulus bill for providing direct coronavirus relief payments to family members of illegal aliens, getting up to $1,800 each.

     “This is far more than the Americans are given,” said Trump, who also president lamented that the bill also failed to provide substantial aid to restaurants and small businesses.

    Trump berated members of Congress for failing to even read the massive, 5,593 page bill before passing it quickly in the last hours before the winter holidays and demanded that Congress send a better coronavirus aid package, suggesting that he might not sign it.

   “I am also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items from this legislation and to send me a suitable bill,” President Trump said.

 (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)