Trump Ready For Second Round Of Stimulus Checks; Agrees to Back State Aid

Trump says that he will sign a coronavirus relief bill that will have state and local aid.  He also says he wants stimulus checks to be quickly distributed, the New York Post reports.

“I am ready to send more money to States and Local governments to save jobs for Police, Fire Fighters, First Responders, and Teachers. DEMOCRATS ARE HOLDING THIS UP!” Trump wrote.

And in another tweet, he posted that he directed Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin “to get ready to send direct payments ($3,400 for a family of four) to all Americans.”

The statement on state and local aid may be a reference to a breakthrough after he repeatedly voiced concerns that state and local government funding would be a “bailout” for “poorly run” Democratic governments.

As for other tweets, Trump renewed calls for $105 billion to go to schools that will reopen during the pandemic and for rental assistance.

The legislation stalled last week over disagreements on the size of a package and how the money would be used.

Democrats hoped for $3.4 trillion with almost $1 trillion in state and local aid, while Republicans majority opposed, proposing a $1 trillion package that had a business liability waiver that Democrats opposed.

The conflict means there are some broadly bipartisan ideas, including another $1,200-per-individual stimulus check and more than $100 billion in funds to help the schools safely reopen in the fall, remain in flux.

Democrats chose to ignore an attempt at a $2 trillion compromise, though the details of the deal were vague.

The stall out resulted in the expiration of federal eviction protections of an estimated 23 million citizens, as well as a $600 unemployment supplement.

Last Saturday, Trump signed four executive orders that dealt with reviving the federal eviction moratorium, extending student loan deferment, creating a $400 weekly unemployment supplement, and suspending some taxes on income under $104,000.

Really at this point, just make the stimulus checks a separate issue, agree on giving Americans the “quickly distributed” money they need NOW, and come back to all the other stuff at a later date. Americans need their money, and they need it now.