Trump standoff with Congress threatens jobless Americans

Millions of Americans are threatened to lose their unemployment benefits after the outgoing US President Donald Trump headed golfing amid the standoff with Congress.

Before Trump was seen golfing in Florida on Friday, Congress had officially began sending him the bipartisan $1.4tn US budget for 2021.

“The bipartisan COVID relief & omnibus bill has been enrolled,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., wrote in a post on Twitter. “The House & Senate are now sending this important legislation #ForThePeople to the White House for the President’s signature. We urge him to sign this bill into law to give immediate relief to hard-working families!”

Before heading to Florida for the Christmas holidays, Trump threatened to not sign the bill lawmakers had spent months to negotiate, potentially plunging millions of Americans hit hard by the pandemic into worse financial duress.

The delay in signing the bill threatens to postpone federal assistance programs and could cost millions of Americans receiving unemployment benefits to lose money since they were supposed to restart December 26.

If Trump doesn't sign the federal rescue package by the end of Saturday, it would effectively cut a week of $300 federal unemployment benefits for jobless people, according to Michele Evermore, a policy expert at the National Employment Law Project.

Saturday also the last day for two federal relief funds, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation fund.

The Covid relief bill in the budget, if approved by Trump, provisions about $900bn in spending on programs to support businesses and individuals who are suffering as a result of the pandemic.

The bipartisan bill was considered a done deal; however, in a surprise eleventh-hour demand, Trump required Congress to approve $2,000 Covid-19 relief checks.

The new check was much more than the $600 members of his own party had agreed upon with Democrats and was quickly rejected.Trump has vowed to take revenge against congressional Republicans he deems to be disloyal for refusing to back his allegations of election fraud.

Trump vows to take revenge against Republicans who didn’t back election fraud

Donald Trump vows to take revenge against congressional Republicans he deems to be disloyal for refusing to back his allegations of election fraud.

In blistering remarks posted on Twitter, Trump warned Republican senators that he would never forget their lack of support as he continues to fight the outcome of the November 3 election. That threat is a potential concern for Republicans up for reelection in 2022.

Trump has been furious with Senate Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who have acknowledged that President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election. A handful of GOP senators have rallied behind Trump’s allegations.

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