If Democrats will not make a deal on the next coronavirus relief package with Republicans in the near future, President Donald Trump is prepared to take action.
Trump is considering taking executive action to extend a moratorium on evictions and enhanced unemployment benefits.
The official end date to these unemployment benefits was on Friday.
“My administration’s exploring executive actions to provide protections against eviction. Eviction’s a big problem, very unfair to a lot of people. It wasn’t their fault that this virus came from a faraway land,” Trump said.
He added, “As well as additional relief to those who are unemployed as a result of the virus. Very importantly, I’m also looking at a term-limited suspension of the payroll tax.”
Watch his comments below:
If Democrats will not make a deal, President @realDonaldTrump will pursue executive action in order to extend economic relief for the American people. pic.twitter.com/K8qhdvelzb
— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) August 5, 2020
Trump noted the Democrats are calling for a $1 trillion bailout of “poorly run states.”
He said “we are not going to go along with that” because it is not related to the coronavirus pandemic.
Democrats and Republicans have continued to struggle to come to an agreement on the next stimulus bill.
Trump’s comments come just one day after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated the Trump administration would take executive action if little progress was made, as IJR previously reported.
Mnuchin also told reporters both sides are a “long ways away from striking any kind of a deal.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) revealed on Wednesday she is confident both sides can come to an agreement but did not provide a timeline of when it could happen, as IJR previously reported.
Pelosi told CNN on Tuesday she is willing to settle for $3.4 trillion.
According to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), he is willing to support any deal reached by both Democrats and the Trump administration.
He indicated an agreement this close to elections in November would not receive unanimous support.