Washington, United States
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday blocked Democrats’ attempt to amend the $ 900 billion stimulus plan passed in Congress after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to block it. no changes.
Lawmakers met at 9 a.m. this Thursday, Christmas night, And tried unsuccessfully to unanimously pass a change to the bill that passed both houses on Monday.
Specifically, the Democrats they wanted to increase from $ 600 to 2,000 direct payments that millions of taxpayers will receive after that Trump demanded this increase on Tuesday, in a petition that breaks with his party’s position.
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Paradoxically, Trump and Democrats agree to increase the direct payments those individuals with incomes below $ 75,000 a year will receive; however, Congress Republicans oppose this request because the party has traditionally advocated for fiscal discipline and control of public spending.
Democrats have taken advantage of the split between the president and Republican congressional leaders to call for increased direct aid to Americans.
“Today, on Christmas Eve morning, Republicans in the House of Representatives cruelly left the American people without the $ 2,000 that the president had agreed to support,” the president of the House of Representatives said in a statement. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, the highest-ranking Democrat in Washington.
The bailout is part of a broader federal spending package, known as the omnibus, worth a total of $ 2.3 trillion, of which $ 1.4 trillion is to fund the Administration through September 2021.
Congress has taken advantage of this spending proposal to include measures that have nothing to do with the U.S. economy, such as foreign aid to several countries, an issue on which the president has also expressed displeasure.
In line with Trump’s request, Republicans today tried to reduce the amount of foreign aid included in the bill, but their attempts were blocked by Democrats.
It is unclear what next steps the governor and lawmakers of both parties will take after their proposals to amend the stimulus plan failed today.
If Trump does not sign the spending bill before the night of Monday the 28th, the funds for the Administration will be exhausted and the Administration will go into partial paralysis from Tuesday the 29th, something that has not happened for two years.
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Also, if the president does not ratify the stimulus plan, the impact on U.S. life and economy could be huge.
Unemployment benefits for 14 million Americans are ending this Saturday, and by the end of this month, a rule expires that has prevented 30 million people from being evicted.