Unemployment insurance for millions of Americans ran out as both Republican and Democratic officials urged President Donald Trump Sunday to sign government spending legislation that includes a new coronavirus stimulus bill.
Trump put the entire $900 billion package in jeopardy last week when he suddenly demanded that Congress approve $2,000 direct payments rather than the $600 provided for in the legislation. The measure also would fund the federal government through Sept. 30, meaning that a shutdown would begin Tuesday without the president’s signature or further congressional action.
“Sign the bill, get it done,” Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, said on CNN’s State of the Union. “And then, if the president wants to push for more, let’s get that done too. Let’s work together in a bipartisan way. It’d be a great way for him to end the administration.”
“You can’t diddle around with the bill,” said U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on ABC’s This Week. “Sign the bill, Mr. President, and then immediately, Monday, Tuesday, we can pass a $2,000 direct payment to the working families of this country.”
U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., agreed the president should sign the bill now. Trump always can then argue for a separate bill increasing the direct payments to $2,000, Toomey said.
“You don’t get everything you want even if you’re president of the United States,” Toomey said on Fox News Sunday. “We’ve got a bill right now that his administration helped negotiate. I think we ought to get that done.”
“As he leaves office, I understand he wants to be remembered for advocating for big checks,” Toomey added, saying that he opposed the $2,000 checks. “But the danger is he’ll be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”
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The discussions took place in advance of Monday’s scheduled vote in the House on separate legislation increasing the payments to $2,000. House Democrats on Thursday tried to pass the bill by unanimous consent, but Republicans blocked the attempt.
Members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation joined the chorus of lawmakers Sunday urging Trump to sign the original legislation.
Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-7th Dist., tweeted that “millions of Americans are losing unemployment benefits due to the president’s inaction. There is no excuse for the president to delay this vital assistance,” and Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker said that “states won’t have critical funds to distribute the vaccine” if the bill is not signed into law.
And members of the bipartisan group of senators and representatives, who jump-started stimulus negotiations with their $908 billion proposal, on Sunday called on to act quickly to either sign or veto the legislation.
“We are asking you to please sign the emergency relief bill,” said the lawmakers, including Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. “However, if your objection to the COVID-19 relief bill will prevent you from signing, please veto it immediately. You’ve made your position clear and rejecting it quickly will allow those in favor to act before it is too late.”
The $900 billion package, which included $600 stimulus checks, more money for small businesses, and an 11-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits, overwhelmingly cleared Congress last Monday and was applauded by Trump’s treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who helped negotiate the measure.
“Everybody assumed, everybody, that Mnuchin was representing the White House,” Sanders said on ABC. “And that was the assumption that everybody had.”
But then Trump on Tuesday night tweeted that the legislation as “a disgrace” and called for increasing the checks to $2,000 and repeated his demand over the weekend.
There is unlikely to be enough support among Senate Republicans to pass the higher payments, according to U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the fourth-ranking House GOP senator.
“I would be surprised if we dealt with it,” Blunt said last week.
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @JDSalant.
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