Washington (AFP)

Barely negotiated, the plan to support the American economy, including checks to families in difficulty, was under threat of a blockage Wednesday by President Donald Trump, who is demanding more money and putting pressure on his Republican allies.

The Republican president had not yet made a decision on Wednesday at 9 p.m. GMT, however he announced his veto on the defense budget.

However, adopted by an overwhelming majority, this budget should override its opposition.

On Tuesday evening, Mr. Trump stunned by rejecting the $ 900 billion support plan adopted by Congress the day before after months of difficult discussions.

Calling it a "shame", he called for an increase in the amount of checks sent to families from $ 600 to $ 2,000 per adult, without, however, vetoing it formally.

Democrats immediately took the president at his word and called for amendments to the text.

Time is running out, especially as the economic recovery plan is part of an aggregate of legislative texts including the 2021 finance bill.

The current funding for state services expires on December 28, which is Monday.

In other words, if Donald Trump does not validate the bill, the federal administration will no longer be funded and will be forced to shut down.

This is the "shutdown".

The alternative would be for Congress to agree to vote on a new continuity measure to keep the current finance law valid.

The Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, on Wednesday urged in a tweet the president "to sign the law so that the state can remain operational".

She also asked him to convince Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell to accept the request for direct checks for $ 2,000.

"It can be done before noon on Christmas Eve," or Thursday, she said.

"I ask Congress to amend this bill and increase the $ 600 - ridiculously low - to $ 2,000 or $ 4,000 for a couple," Donald Trump had launched Tuesday evening in a video posted on Twitter.

- "Awesome !"

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“That's awesome!”, “Let's do it,” tweeted Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, a former Democratic primary candidate, urging the White House host to ask his “Republican friends” to stop pushing. oppose it.

For months, Democrats and Republicans have indeed remained deadlocked because of a disagreement on the amounts of aid.

The former demanded a support plan equivalent to the gigantic aid package of 2,200 billion dollars voted at the end of March, the latter demanded a plan not exceeding 1,000 billion dollars.

Democrats also put checks for $ 1,200 per adult on the table, as in the spring.

Finally, Democrats and Republicans agreed Sunday on a plan of nearly 900 billion including checks of 600 dollars per adult and per child.

"Now that the president has accepted direct payments of $ 2,000, we will seek unanimous consent to pass a bill this week to provide this aid to Americans," Democratic House No. 2 Steny Hoyer said.

But without unanimity, the amendment will not pass.

Most lawmakers have already left Washington for vacation after the bill is passed, which will further complicate the situation.

The American press referring to Donald Trump's advisers on Wednesday underlined the general amazement in the ranks of the Republicans who thought the file closed.

On Monday, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin himself announced that the checks would be sent at the start of next week.

For the Americans, to veto this law would be catastrophic when some 12 million of them will lose essential aid to their survival on Boxing Day, that is to say on Saturday.

The world's largest economy urgently needs this stimulus plan, economists unanimously believe.

Because after a sustained recovery this summer, activity slowed in the fall.

And the resurgence of the pandemic that has been accompanied by new business restriction measures threatens small businesses with bankruptcy.

© 2020 AFP