Criticized for his management of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump on Saturday unveiled a new aid plan by decree for the Americans most affected by the crisis. The US president has signed four documents that provide for a wage freeze, an extended unemployment benefit of $ 400 per week, protections for tenants threatened with eviction and a postponement of the repayment of student loans. Insufficient measures according to the Democratic Party, majority in Congress, which rejects this plan.
"Enough, we are going to save American jobs and come to the aid of American workers," the billionaire said at a press conference at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey. The United States is on track to cross the 5 million coronavirus case mark, with more than 160,000 dead. The White House and the Democrats in Congress have been engaged for two weeks in negotiations to reach a new gigantic plan to support the economy. But with less than three months of the presidential election, and with the first aid measures expired on July 31, those talks have so far yielded nothing, prompting Trump to act by executive order.
Four decrees contested by the opposition
One of the president's key promises is to extend aid to the unemployed until the end of the year, in addition to that allocated by each US state. While the extension of this aid, which has prevented millions of households from falling into poverty, was not up for debate in Congress, its amount was one of the major points of contention: Republicans proposed to lower it to $ 200 and the Democrats wanted to keep $ 600. Donald Trump finally announced the figure of $ 400 per week, but this amount could ultimately be limited to $ 300 because the federal state will only pay 75% and the states will have to pay the remaining 25%.
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Another measure provides for a freeze on payroll costs for Americans whose salaries do not exceed $ 100,000 per year. "If I am victorious on November 3, I intend to cancel these charges," promised the president, candidate for re-election. However, this measure, which was opposed by many Republicans, as well as the Democrats, only postpones the payment of charges, it does not cancel them.
Donald Trump has also instructed the ministries of Housing, Health and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to "ensure that tenants and landlords can stay at home", while a fourth text suspends reimbursement student loans until the end of the year and lower their interest rates to 0%.
Insults and accusations
In Congress, Democrats rejected the Republican aid plan, which amounted to $ 1,000 billion. The Democratic Party was pushing for a massive $ 3 trillion aid package to stimulate the economy, bail out the US post office in time for the presidential election, and extend aid to the unemployed.
During his press conference, Donald Trump called Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, "crazy" and accused her rival for the presidential election, Joe Biden, of being "far left", while the Democrats want, according to him, "to steal the presidential election".
A risk of legal challenge
Joe Biden called the plan "a series of half measures." "Another cynical attempt to shirk responsibility," he criticized, saying the country needed a "real leader" capable of negotiating a deal with Congress.
The American billionaire, who had invited members of his golf club to attend the press conference, used the signing ceremony to violently attack his opponents, while exaggerating his own accomplishments.
The president said his decision to bypass Congress by signing ordinances will allow the funds to be "quickly distributed". These announcements will likely be challenged in court since it is to Congress that the US constitution entrusts most of the country's budget decisions.