Sanders: Trump 'diddling around' on relief bill is 'unbelievably cruel'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) doesn't often agree with President Trump, but the two are in line when it comes to Americans receiving $2,000 stimulus checks rather than the $600 agreed upon in Congress' bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill, which has been awaiting Trump's signature. Yet while Sanders may be on board with the substance, he's not a fan of how Trump is conducting business.
The senator said the fact Trump is "diddling around" and refusing to sign the bill into law is "unbelievably cruel" since it means enhanced unemployment benefits and eviction moratoriums could expire should the government shut down Tuesday. Sanders thinks Trump ought to give the package his approval right away and "then immediately Monday, Tuesday we can pass a $2,000 direct payment for the working families of this country."
Sanders, who has been pushing for larger stimulus checks along with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) for some time, said he didn't hear "a word" from the White House negotiating team about Trump's preference, which led him to figure Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's plan was representative of the president's.
On stimulus checks, @BernieSanders claims,“What the president is doing right now is unbelievably cruel. Many millions of people are losing their extended unemployment benefits. They're going to be evicted from their apartments. There's money in that bill.” pic.twitter.com/LpFJXlEUlE
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) December 27, 2020
More stories from theweek.com
Report: Forensic accounting specialists hired to assist N.Y. prosecutor in Trump probe
$2,000 checks are good
Police report shows girlfriend of Nashville bomber warned he was 'building bombs' in his RV
