President Trump called on the House and Senate to send him stand-alone bills to help the airline industry, small businesses as well as legislation for another $1200 stimulus check:
The House & Senate should IMMEDIATELY Approve 25 Billion Dollars for Airline Payroll Support, & 135 Billion Dollars for Paycheck Protection Program for Small Business. Both of these will be fully paid for with unused funds from the Cares Act. Have this money. I will sign now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020
If I am sent a Stand Alone Bill for Stimulus Checks ($1,200), they will go out to our great people IMMEDIATELY. I am ready to sign right now. Are you listening Nancy? @MarkMeadows @senatemajldr @kevinomccarthy @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2020
But earlier in the day, the president abruptly cut off negotiations with Democrats, saying, “I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business”:
Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.4 Trillion Dollars to bailout poorly run, high crime, Democrat States, money that is in no way related to COVID-19. We made a very generous offer of $1.6 Trillion Dollars and, as usual, she is not negotiating in good faith. I am rejecting their…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
…request, and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business. I have asked…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
…@senatemajldr Mitch McConnell not to delay, but to instead focus full time on approving my outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. Our Economy is doing very well. The Stock Market is at record levels, JOBS and unemployment…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
…also coming back in record numbers. We are leading the World in Economic Recovery, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi quickly called out the president for ending the talks:
NEW: @JoeBiden w/ a stmt on Trump ending Covid talks:
“Make no mistake: if you are out of work, if your business is closed, if your child’s school is shut down, if you are seeing layoffs in your community, Donald Trump decided today that none of that—none of it—matters to him.”
— Hanna Trudo (@HCTrudo) October 6, 2020
On a Democratic call, reacting to the President abruptly breaking off stimulus talks, Speaker Pelosi questioned whether Trump taking a steroid was impacting his thinking, according to two people on the call.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 6, 2020
And pundits pointed out after this earlier announcement that walking away from talks meant walking away from another airline bailout that would hurt the president in battleground states where the airlines have major hubs:
Trump killing the airline bailout could be a major deal electorally. Major airlines are based in Dallas, Atlanta and Phoenix, with major hub operations in Detroit, Minneapolis, Houston, Dallas again, Miami, Philadelphia… https://t.co/TuqgGGWl9o
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 6, 2020
Oh, and Charlotte!
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 6, 2020
So, the president is obviously ready to sign something if Congress — both parties — can act:
True! https://t.co/ZJmcxG2CoO
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
To be continued. . .
***
