Graham: Trump ‘more determined than ever’ to get bigger stimulus payments

Graham: Trump ‘more determined than ever’ to get bigger stimulus payments

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Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamRelief bill in limbo Trump arrives at Mar-a-Lago Ossoff, Warnock every rake in over 0 million Meghan McCain says Merry Christmas to everyone except ‘healthy people under 65’ getting vaccine before line workers facing MORE (RS.C.) said Friday night after spending part of the day with President TrumpDonald TrumpMillions must lose unemployment benefits amid Trump’s standoff with Congress The memo: Could Pence run and win in 2024? Flights from Nashville stopped due to telecommunications problems related to the trailer explosion. MORE that the president is “more determined than ever” to comply with his demand for greater stimulus payments to Americans than that passed by Congress in a bill passed this week.

Graham’s comments come as Trump and Congress are stalled over the size of payments to millions of Americans as part of the latest relief bill COVID-19, after the House and Senate passed legislation Trump criticized and didn’t sign it, putting it in limbo.

“After spending some time with President @realDonaldTrump today, I am convinced that he is more determined than ever to increase stimulus payments to $ 2,000 per person and challenge section 230 of big technology liability protection,” Graham tweeted on Friday night.

“Both are reasonable demands and I hope that Congress is listening. The biggest winner would be the American people,” he added.

Graham, an important ally of Trump in Congress, pondered after spending time golf with the president at his club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday. The president will spend his vacation at his nearby resort in Mar-a-Lago.

Government funding of $ 2.3 trillion and the coronavirus aid package reached Mar-a-Lago this week, although its fate is unclear. Although he did not threaten to veto the bill, the president also did not say whether he would sign it.

Trump is at odds with Congress this week over the latest coronavirus deal, with his surprising opposition to the legislation, launching the latest relief bill and government funding package into uncertainty.

The president criticized the $ 900 billion COVID-19 deal, which came after months of slow negotiations between both parties, as well as his government, by focusing on the size of payments to Americans. He called for $ 2,000 payments instead of the $ 600 payments that lawmakers approved along with a number of other provisions to provide economic relief in the midst of the pandemic.

The coronavirus deal was approved with a $ 1.4 trillion package to finance the federal government through October. Republicans have asked Trump to sign the legislation, with unemployment insurance set to expire on Saturday and an imminent strike starting on Tuesday, unless the president signs the bill or Congress approves a new measure and the president signs it. .

The president indicated in tweets on Christmas Day and Saturday that he was still pushing for higher payments for Americans.

“I made a lot of calls and had meetings at Trump International in Palm Beach, Florida. Why didn’t the politicians want to give people $ 2,000 instead of just $ 600? It wasn’t their fault, it was China. Give the money to our people!” he tweeted on Friday.

“I just want to [sic] to get our great people $ 2,000 instead of $ 600. In addition, Congress must cut ‘pork’, “he added in another tweet Saturday.

Trump separately criticized an annual defense policy bill, cited by Graham, and vetoed the legislation this week. The president criticized the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act for failing to revoke a fundamental liability shield for social media companies, known as Section 230.

Congress will hold an unusual holiday session next week to vote on whether to override the president’s veto on the massive defense bill, which has been approved over the past 59 years. The bill authorizes special payments and bonuses for troops, training programs, military projects and other operations.

Trump tweeted on Saturday to also reiterate his opposition to the bill.

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