Donald Trump promulgates new plan to help Americans by executive order

• August, 9 2020 à 18:51
• Jean-Claude Dorsainvil
• Politique
• 0 Comments

Sunday, August 9, 2020 / CAPIA-haitiinfoonline.net / Criticized for his management of the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump unveiled on Saturday a new aid plan by decree in favor of millions of Americans threatened with eviction from their homes and stricken with unemployment because of the epidemic, for lack of agreement in Congress.
"Enough, we'll save American jobs and help American workers," the billionaire said at a press conference at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Mr. Trump signed four documents that provide for a wage freeze, an extended unemployment benefit of $ 400 a week, protections for tenants threatened with eviction and a postponement of repayment of student loans.
As the United States is on track to cross the 5 million Covid-19 case mark, with more than 160,000 dead, the White House and Congressional Democrats 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, these talks have so far come to naught.
Mr. Trump, who lags in the polls against Democratic candidate Joe Biden, said his decision to bypass Congress by signing orders will allow the funds to be "quickly distributed".
In reality, these announcements are likely to be challenged in court, since the US constitution entrusts most of the country's budget decisions to Congress.
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" who could negotiate 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.
- Vague announcements -
To applause and laughter from golfers, Mr. Trump called Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "crazy", called moderate Joe Biden "on the far left," and claimed Democrats wanted to “steal the presidential election”.
Its advertisements themselves were vague and at times misleading. 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.
Mr. Trump announced the figure of $ 400 a week, but that amount could eventually be capped at $ 300 because the federal state will only pay 75% and states will have to pay the remaining 25%.
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 quash these charges," Mr. Trump promised.
But this measure, which many Republicans and Democrats opposed, only postpones the payment of charges, it does not reverse them.
Mr. Trump also instructed the ministries of housing, health and the CDC (Center for the fight against diseases) to "ensure that tenants and landlords can stay in their homes", while a fourth text suspends the repaying student loans until the end of the year and lowering their interest rates to 0%.
The Democratic opposition 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 $ 600 a week in aid for the unemployed.
Democrats rejected the $ 1 trillion Republican aid plan.