U.S. gov't heads toward chaotic end to 2020
President Donald Trump on Sunday appeared to be in no rush to try to resolve his standoff with Congress over a massive coronavirus relief and government funding bill -- instead hitting the links at his golf club in West Palm Beach.
Trump's refusal to approve a $2.3 trillion financial package -- a bill that has been sitting on his desk at Mar-a-Lago over the holiday weekend -- caused some 14 million of Americans to lose jobless benefits the day after Christmas and threatens to shut down federal agencies due to lack of funding.
Trump, who leaves office on Jan. 20, came under pressure on Sunday from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to sign the bill that was approved by Congress last week.
Senator Bernie Sanders said quote, "What the president is doing right now is unbelievably cruel."
And Republican Representative Adam Kinzinger said Trump's refusal to sign the bill was difficult to fathom, telling CNN's "State of the Union" quote "I don't get the point - unless it's just to create chaos, and show power, and be upset because you lost the election."
Trump stunned both parties when he said last Tuesday that he was unhappy with the massive bill, which provides $892 billion in coronavirus financial relief, despite offering no objections to the terms of the deal before Congress voted it through last Monday.
He demanded that Congress change the bill to increase the size of stimulus checks for Americans from $600 to $2,000.
The U.S. Congress, which normally is adjourned the last week of December, is now preparing to head back to work.
The Democratic-controlled House plans to vote on Monday on legislation providing one-time $2,000 checks to people, but Republican lawmakers are already concerned about the cost of the larger package.
Without enactment of the bill, the U.S. government runs out of money at midnight Dec. 28. If not resolved by then, Congress must either pass a stopgap funding bill or federal agencies will not have money to fully operate beginning Tuesday, triggering a partial government shutdown.
