President Donald Trump said in a tweet Tuesday night that he is willing to sign a stand alone bill authorizing stimulus check payments of $1,200 for American citizens if the House can deliver such a bill to his desk.
The announcements come hours after President Trump indicated that he would end stimulus talks until after the November election, as Republicans and Democrats remain stalemated over so-called “poison pill” legislation in the plan proposed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
“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 @senmajldr @kevinomccarthy @SpeakerPelosi @SenSchumer,” President Trump tweeted at 10:18 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday night.
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
In an earlier tweet, the President also indicated a willingness to sign legislation authorizing relief funds for airlines and small businesses.
“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!” Trump said.
Nancy Pelosi’s stimulus proposal contained numerous political directives that made the proposal unlikely to be approved by the Congress:
The $2.2 trillion package, originally referred to as the HEROES Act, includes language that not only makes some illegal immigrants eligible for stimulus checks but provides those deemed “engaged in essential critical infrastructure labor or services in the United States” to be classified as in “a period of deferred action.” They would be authorized to work and would be protected from deportation for 90 days after the crisis is declared over.
Pelosi recently missed a deadline that resulted in the airline industry having to furlough, layoff, and fire over 50,000 workers because of government interference in the private sector during the COVID event.
In addition to providing protections for these “critical laborers,” Democrats have included language that also protects the employers who hire them. That part of the proposed legislation reads, “such workers are deemed to be in a period of deferred action and to be authorized for employment, and employers are shielded from certain immigration-related violations for employing such workers.”
As of yet, it appears no Congressional officials have reached out to deliver a stimulus bill to the President’s desk.
