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How Trump’s Temper Tantrum Hurt Millions Of Americans

How Trump’s Temper Tantrum Hurt Millions Of Americans

Reprinted with permission from American Independent

Donald Trump delayed signing the pandemic relief bill for days, claiming he thought the bill was too stingy. Then, on Sunday, he signed it anyway — costing millions of unemployed Americans at least a week of benefits.

Last week, Trump's administration agreed to a bipartisan agreement to keep the federal government funded and to provide $908 billion in emergency funds to combat the pandemic and the economic problems it has created. Congress passed the deal by overwhelming supermajorities and expected Trump to quickly sign it into law. His staff reportedly planned for him to sign the bill on Thursday.

But experts warned that if Trump didn't approve the relief bill quickly, Americans in need of assistance would lose out. Had Trump signed the bill by Saturday, unemployed Americans would have received 11 weeks of $300 payments from the federal government in addition to the regular state payments.

"At the very least, we lose a week of the $300," the National Employment Law Project's Michele Evermore told Business Insider Saturday, noting that other assistance programs would at best be delayed. "No matter what, if he doesn't sign, next week it goes down to 10 weeks of an extra $300."

Instead, Trump announced on Tuesday that he thought the bill was a "disgrace" and later canceled the planned signing ceremony. Rather than sign the bill or try to negotiate changes, he spent the holidays golfing at his Florida resort.

He did find time to fire off a series of angry tweets, objecting to the "measly" payments in the bill his administration had backed and complaining about "billions of dollars in 'pork'" in the agreement.

"Made many calls and had meetings at Trump International in Palm Beach, Florida. Why would politicians not want to give people $2000, rather than only $600?" Trump wrote on Friday afternoon, referencing the $600-per-person stimulus checks included in the bill for most Americans. "It wasn't their fault, it was China. Give our people the money!"

His complaints drew the ire of at least one House Republican. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) tweeted Wednesday that "100% of the items" Trump complained about in the bill "were either a lie" or were "things in HIS budget."

On Sunday, Trump tweeted that he had "Good news on Covid Relief Bill. Information to follow!" He then signed the bill he had previously called disgraceful.

As a candidate in 2016, Trump ran as a master dealmaker who was uniquely suited to working with congressional leaders of both parties. But over his four years in office, he has had little success with his hardball tactics. In last 2018 and early 2019, he forced the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history in a failed attempt to force Congress to appropriate billions for his massive wall along the southern border.

As in that fight, his stalling tactics ultimately achieved nothing this time around.

The bill he signed on Sunday night was the exact same one he could have signed days earlier. The only difference is that because of his delays, millions of the people he claimed he wanted to help will have to wait an extra week for their benefits. And in the end, his delays will cost many of them $300 each.

Donald Trump

Trump Finally Signs Pandemic Relief Bill After Weeks Of Cruel Stalling

On Sunday night President Trump finally signed legislation providing over $900 billion in pandemic relief and funding the government through next September, bringing an end to year-end turmoil that he and Republicans had cause over the bill that will offer assistance to millions of Americans and avert a shutdown.

The signing at Trump's Florida residence represented an abrupt reversal for the president, who had until yesterday seemed eager to kill the bill. He waited until two crucial unemployment programs had lapsed, which will lead to delayed benefits for as many as 14 million Americans.

Displaying his usual tone deafness, Trump teased his reversal on Twitter before actually signing the relief bill.




Trump still says he will push Congressional Republicans to approve a $2,000 stimulus check to all Americans who meet the government's income eligibility rules. Enough Republicans and Democrats agree on expanded aid to make that a possibility. He is also still demanding the repeal of Section 230, the federal law that protects Internet publishers from liability for content created by their users.

Fed Nominee Moore: Unemployment Insurance Is ‘Paid Vacation’

Fed Nominee Moore: Unemployment Insurance Is ‘Paid Vacation’

Trump on Friday announced that he nominated a conservative think tank fellow, who has criticized everything from paid sick leave to unemployment insurance, to a position on the Federal Reserve Board — a powerful position that has say over monetary policy in the United States.

The nominee, Stephen Moore, is a regular on Fox News, where he spouts crazy economic theories including that unemployment insurance amounts to “paid vacation” for job seekers.

“Extending unemployment benefits is actually bad for the economy,” Moore, a Fox News contributor, said on air in 2014. “It encourages people to stay out of the work force, it’s like a paid vacation for people and it’s actually a tax on employers.”

Anyone who’s been unemployed knows that unemployment insurance is anything but “paid vacation.” Benefits are never as much as the salary a laid off worker was making before their job was terminated. And that insurance allows laid off workers to afford basic necessities of living while they search for a new job — which is a full-time job in and of itself.

But that’s not the only wild comment on economic policy Moore has made.

Also in 2014, Moore said giving full-time workers paid sick leave is “very dangerous.”

“Somebody gets sick we feel bad about it, or if they get injured we feel bad about it. But the question is, should the burden of paying for that be on the backs of small businesses?” Moore said on a Fox News appearance.

God forbid people are able to stay home when they are ill.

Trump nominated Moore — a Trump supporter who worked on Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign — to the position after seeing one of Moore’s columns in the Wall Street Journal, according to Bloomberg News. Moore, like Trump, blamed the Federal Reserve for a slower economic growth rate than Trump predicted — a claim respected economists say is complete bunk.

“It is my pleasure to announce that @StephenMoore, a very respected Economist, will be nominated to serve on the Fed Board,” Trump tweeted Friday afternoon. “I have known Steve for a long time – and have no doubt he will be an outstanding choice!”

Moore, however, is anything but a respected economist.

He’s just another Fox News talking head who Trump decided to give a powerful position in government.

Published with permission of The American Independent.

U.S. Jobless Claims Rise To 6-Week High

U.S. Jobless Claims Rise To 6-Week High

Washington (AFP) — Initial claims for U.S. unemployment insurance benefits rose to a six-week high last week but the overall trend continued to show a tightening labor market, government data showed Thursday.

New jobless claims, a sign of the pace of layoffs, rose to 311,000 in the week ending August 9, up 21,000 from the prior week’s revised 290,000, the Labor Department said.

The increase was larger than expected; the average analyst estimate was 305,000 claims.

The four-week moving average was up 2,000 to 295,750, but still reflected an improving jobs market. A year ago the average stood at 335,000 claims.

“While the latest reading on initial claims was higher than expected, the four-week average has risen only slightly from the eight-year low reached last week,” Dean Maki of Barclays Research said in a client note.

“Thus, we still would view the claims data as consistent with a labor market that is improving.”

The U.S. economy generated 209,000 new jobs in July, down from June but maintaining a solid 200,000-plus monthly streak since February, according to the government.

The unemployment rate rose by 0.1 points to 6.2 percent, but it remained near its lowest level in nearly six years and well down from 7.9 percent at the start of 2013.

AFP Photo/Justin Sullivan

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