Donald Trump has stopped the economic aid plan for Es …

Outgoing President of the United States Donald Trump rejected the $ 900 billion economic relief bill passed by Congress to deal with the crisis triggered by the pandemic, declaring the legislation a “disgrace” and demanding “amendments”.

“It’s a real shame,” Trump said in a video posted to his Twitter account, in which he criticized helping families with undocumented immigrants, including a budget for museums, and also making arrangements for help others. countries and called for an increase in aid to the poorest people stipulated by 600 dollars. On the latter, Trump called for the amount of aid to be increased to $ 2,000 or $ 4,000 for a couple.

A few hours later, the American president doubled the bet in his confrontation with the Capitol by vetoing the defense budget.

The rescue plan, seen as essential for the world’s greatest power, was approved after months of arduous negotiations and days after many unemployed people exhausted all their benefits, at a time when covid-19 is advancing without threatening control the recovery of the economy. But it cannot come into force without the signature of the president. In his video, Trump hints that he is unwilling to sign it without the aforementioned changes.

The Republican leader is in fact calling for sending him an “appropriate” amended bill, if not, he warned it could belong to the Democratic “next administration” led byr Joe Biden, who takes office on January 20, adopts a recovery plan.

– Little to do with covid-19-

“I will ask Congress to immediately get rid of unnecessary and wasteful elements of this legislation,” the president said, although the White House has been involved in negotiations on the text through the Secretary of the Treasury, Steven Mnuchin. The project is part of a larger package that includes budgets for next year, so it includes elements for culture or foreign aid.

“This is called the covid helper law, but it has almost nothing to do with covid“added the president, citing the negotiated initiative as a jumble of questions such as the aid contained in the text for Cambodia or Burma and the financing of the Egyptian army when the latter – according to him -” will buy almost exclusively Russian military equipment “.

He also regrets that the text foresees millions of dollars to promote “democracy and gender programs” in Pakistan, or for cultural institutions in the United States.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Democrat, Nancy Pelosi responded on Twitter: “Republicans have repeatedly refused to say how much the president wants for direct checks. Finally, the president agrees with $ 2,000, the Democrats are ready to bring that to the table this week and pass it by consensus. We are going to do it!”.

And the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham He said for his part that although the aid plan is “flawed”, it must go into effect. “The sooner the better,” he wrote on Twitter.

– Joint work –

Democrats and Republicans reached agreement in principle on measures including checks to the most vulnerable families, help for small businesses and schools, additional unemployment benefits of $ 300 per week, as well as a distribution equitable vaccines. against covid-19.

The world’s largest economy entered a deep recession in the spring, the worst since the 193s0, due to the closure of activities resolved in various areas to contain the new coronavirus, which has caused massive unemployment. The pandemic has reached new heights in recent months, slowing job creation and the resumption of activity that began during the summer.

The first official aid plan, worth $ 2.2 trillion, was urgently voted in late March, during the first wave of the pandemic. And he understood exceptional unemployment benefits of $ 600 per week and mailing of checks of $ 1,200 to each adult.

President-elect Biden already announced on Tuesday that the $ 900 billion aid plan was “a first step,” but that it would not be enough, and said he would ask Congress to vote next year on a new initiative to support the US economy. “We have to work with both parties (Republican and Democrat). This is how we’re going to move forward,” Biden said.

In response to the President-elect, Trump on Wednesday vetoed the United States’ defense budget, which was overwhelmingly approved by Congress, confirming his intention to challenge all political standards and even put his own Republican camp in them. strings.

Defense budget of $ 740.5 billion for 2021 passed by vast majority of lawmakers, which should allow the President’s decision to be overturned by a qualified vote.

“Unfortunately, this bill does not include measures critical to national security” and “runs counter to my administration’s efforts to put the United States at the forefront of national security and foreign policy.” Trump said in his official message to Congress, calling the bill a “gift to China and Russia.”

The bill, which was sent to both chambers on Wednesday, calls for a 3% pay hike for defense personnel.. Trump had threatened to oppose his veto on the text because he did not foresee an annulment of the so-called “article 230” law, which protects the legal status of social networks, which the president accuses of plotting against him.

– “Absolutely vital” –

“Article 230 facilitates the dissemination of foreign disinformation online, which constitutes a serious threat to our national security and the integrity of our elections,” he lamented in his message to parliamentarians.

He also criticized the fact that the Pentagon’s funding bill plans to rename the military bases in honor of the generals of the Confederate camp, defenders of slavery. “From these bases, we won two world wars,” he said, denouncing members of Congress’ willingness to “sweep history”.

Trump also rejects provisions that “run counter” to his “efforts to bring (the) troops home … Afghanistan, Germany and South KoreaAnd he says, “For all these reasons, I cannot support this text,” which “puts the interests of the Washington establishment ahead of those of the American people.”

As expected, his opponents immediately denounced his spectacular gesture against the defense budget, traditionally adopted in a consensus that transcends political parties. “Donald Trump has just vetoed an increase in our army to defend the deceased Confederate traitors,” lamented the leader of the Democratic minority in the Senate, Chuck schumer. “Democrats will vote to overturn this veto,” he promised on Twitter.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, also a Democrat, lambasted the head of state for this “irresponsible act which damages our troops, endangers our security and undermines the will of Congress”.

But Trump’s veto affects his own domain as well. Jim Inhofe, a Republican who chairs the Senate Defense Committee, while underlining the president’s record in favor of the military, he reaffirmed his support for the text, “absolutely vital for (the) national security and (the) troops” of the United States.

This bill is separate from the text of the budget which includes the plan to support the US economy, which Trump has previously threatened to veto to get more money for families, putting pressure on Republican lawmakers.