The White House made it known that it is considering three executive orders on COVID-19 unemployment efforts just as its two lead negotiators on the issue met with Democrats for the seventh time Tuesday afternoon.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin primed the pump while talking to reporters on their way in to meet with House Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Mnuchin said then that they would “absolutely” consider deploying executive orders, though Meadows said he hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
Minutes later, Politico reported that the orders in question focus on delaying collection of the federal payroll tax, restarting the eviction moratorium and expanding the unemployment benefit with unspent money earmarked by Congress in the CARES Act.
Per Politico, the orders were Meadows’ idea.
Trump publicly mused over the possibility of unilaterally addressing the evictions and payroll taxes on Monday.
“A lot of people are going to be evicted, but I’m going to stop it because I’ll do it myself if I have to,” he told reporters. “I have a lot of powers with respect to executive orders, and we’re looking at that very seriously right now.”
It’s not clear if the gambit is an attempt to shake up the negotiation dynamics or a serious plan. If Trump goes through with issuing the orders, they will likely be met with legal challenges.
Mnuchin and Meadows have been given the difficult task of negotiating on behalf of a fractured Republican caucus. While Democrats have coalesced behind the central tenet of the relief, extending the $600 per week unemployment insurance benefit, Republicans as a whole haven’t been able to agree on spending any money at all, never mind how much.
On Tuesday, Schumer pilloried Republicans for being too ensnared in their “ideological straight jacket” to compromise.
“This is a huge crisis and it demands a huge response,” he said.
If only we could just EO him right out of the WH.
I am daydreaming how Mark meadows will meet his wraithing…
Which equates to cutting Social Security, increasing homelessness and robbing PPP for the 1%!
Though it is embarrassing, Trump is best at playing idiot and a troll rather than playing president!
ICYMI:
The Democrats are NOT allowing Trump/Mnuchin to loot PPP hence they did NOT propose additional PPP for next pandemic aid. Note that Mnuchin distributed PPP to the 1%/Trump cronies initiative;;y in secret!
Addendum2:
An admission of failure in the negotiations from the world’s best negotiator? You don’t wanna do it my way? Then I’ll just march around you and do it all on my own.
That’s a great leader for us, huh? And bet on it: you and I will get bupkus, but Trump’s friends and cronies will benefit big time.
Nobody is falling for your payroll tax cut, fatman. We know what it means.
Our local news last night did something so cool - put up two giant charts side by side. One said Democratic legislation: and had the continuing $600 per month bonus plus several other things. The other said Republican and White House Legislation: $200 bonus monthly and that was it. hahahahahaha It was perfect.