President Trump asked Congress to amend its $900B Covid-19 relief bill, suggesting he otherwise may not sign the long-awaited legislation (passed by Congress on Monday). In a video statement yesterday (source), President Trump directed lawmakers to raise direct payments for eligible Americans to $2,000 (from $600) and to remove “wasteful and unnecessary items” in the 5,593-page bill.
More context: If Congress does not amend the bill, President Trump can sign it, veto it, or do nothing (in which case it becomes law). The bill passed both the House (359-53) and Senate (92-6) over the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto, though some lawmakers who supported the bill may not support overriding a veto.
Extra: Here’s the bill as it stands now.
The New Paper
This story is from the December 23, 2020 edition of The New Paper – a clear, concise daily briefing that makes fact-first news easy to consume. Try it today.
