Keeping Up With The White House: The Recent Covid-19 Relief Bill And Stimulus Check

*Even though this piece has been through a fact checking process, this is an opinion column and not a news report. All resourced are linked at the end on the article.*

If you are in the US right now (or not but have an American bank account and have a direct deposit) you just recently got a one time payment of $600 from the American government. Nice right? But it could have been $2000 instead. Let me tell you what went down.

In the last few weeks the reality-show-type-drama over in the white house was increasing day by day. Not saying that trump hasn't been creating great content for television consistently for the last four years, but it seems the closer we get to Biden's inauguration the level of childish hissy fits and selfish decisions doesn't fall from the best reality shows out there.

I ate that bate like a birthday cake. Recently, the White house news became my Keeping Up With The Kardashians, and for good reason. This time, a lot was at stake for me, and for my loved ones. You see, we all got hit hard financially because of corona, and even though I was able to stay on my feet, I know many who didn't. One of them being my partner.

So let's break it down shall we, because this is a handful. On Tuesday December 22nd my mom told me something that brought me to tears. She said that the senate was trying to pass a bill that included a $600 Covid-19 stimulus check, but Trump vetoed it. I was devastated, knowing that there was a way to get some kind of help to the people I love, but Trump said no.

"How can he do this? Does he has the authority?" I asked. It was bizarre to me, that one man alone can decide such a thing. So I turned to my good friend for help and advice: Google. After reading half an article I realized that my mom was wrong. He didn't vetoed it, he didn't even threatened to veto it, he just harshly criticized it.

First of all, I was very happy to hear that, and secondly, from that moment on I was hooked. There was so much going on, I just had to keep up to see where the story will go.

So what happened was this:

On Monday, December 21st the $900 Billion bill was passed overwhelmingly both in the senate and in the house, after months long negotiation between the democrats and the republicans over the details of the bill. The following morning, the bill was set on Trump's desk, and all we were waiting for was his signature.

Even though it seemed that both democrats and republicans didn't think Trump would have any problem with the bill, with the votes in favor being so high, Trump was unpleased. He tweeted a video from his chamber harshly criticizing the bill, saying that the bill is "a disgrace", and demanding to raise the "ridiculously low" amount of $600 per person to $2000, or $4000 per couple.

This didn't go down so well with representative from both parties. The democrats were furious that there's crucial time being lost due to lack of communication, saying that not once did trump suggest any specific amount or was even present in the negotiation process on this bill. However, they were all thrilled to incorporate trumps demands in the bill. Nancy Pelosi even said: "$2000? Let's do it!"

Republicans on the other hand had trouble swallowing that pill. They were the ones refusing to raise the amount in the first place in order to try to keep the bill under $1 trillion, and now Trump is going against everything they have been working to achieve in the last few months.

At first you think to yourself: Well done Trump, yeah let's do it! But then you take a minuet and realize that he hasn't signed the bill yet. What does that mean? Well, let me tell you.

At this point, all the cards are in Trump's hands, and the whole country is waiting patiently to see what his next step will be. He could either sign it, veto it, or pocket veto.

Signing will mean that the bill, and everything in it, will become law and actions to distribute that law will take place immediately. Vetoing it will mean Trump does not concur to it becoming law, and the bill dies. The only way to still pass it as law is if the senate and the house will vote on overriding the veto, and it will pass only in a majority of two thirds.

However, A pocket veto is an option at this point. It's rare that this can happen, but the circumstances do allow it. Technically, the president has 10 days from the minuet he gets the bill, to either sign it or veto it. But if the government is due to expire during those 10 days and the president does not sign nor veto before it does, a pocket veto will take place. That means the bill will die with no way of it coming back, and because the government will run out of many without a new bill in place, we will enter a government shutdown until the new government is sworn into office on January 20th. With the government due to expire Monday the 28th, this was very much a possibility.

I KNOW right?? So much at stake here. Kind of like when Khloe found out that Tristan was cheating (allegedly) with Jordyn. Now you understand why everyone was so worried?

Another 24 hours go by, and Trump doesn't sign nor veto. He instead tweets another harsh criticism of the bill. $2,000 or not, everyone is afraid Trump will pocket veto, because there is no way back from it. Even a regular veto is a risk, because it will severely set back the process of distributing the bill, due to the override veto vote that has to be set and pass in the house and senate in order for the bill to even become law in the first place.

Many people speculated that the vote to override a veto will be passed easily, given the stakes of the manner and the fact that the bill itself was passed with an overwhelming majority, but that isn't exactly accurate.

You see, Trump's behavior is putting the republicans in a very awkward position, them being the ones that didn't want to increase the amount of the stimulus check in the first place. He is now, weirdly, testing the loyalty of his party. All of the republicans in the house and the senate know that this bill has to pass in order to avoid government shutdown, but if fait will take the bill to an override veto vote, to vote against the veto is voting against their precious president Trumpy.

That is why many thought that given the option to vote on overriding Trump's veto, if he does, the republicans will back down and vote for the veto, resulting with the bill dying and government shutdown.

I know it's complicated but bare with.

The point is, the clock is ticking, and not only for the government, but also for the people. Not only that the government funds run out on Monday the 28th, but on Saturday the 26th, this current unemployment plan that so many Americans are on, is expiring as well.

That means that if the new bill will not pass, which has in it a new plan for financing unemployment funds of over $250 billion, there will be millions of Americans with no way of getting unemployment checks until the beginning of the new term.

Can you even conceive that?

Meanwhile, the democrats are taking advantage of Trump's demands and the republicans awkward position, to push for a raise in the stimulus check from $600 to $2000, efforts that were blocked by the senate on Thursday, December 24th

Now you have to understand that Thursday is ONE DAY ALONE from the day the unemployment package is expiring, and Trump hasn't signed yet. While the efforts to raise the amount to $2000 are blessed, it will mean nothing if the bill is vetoed (or pocket veto, as well). But alas, it is Christmas, and the president has already flown to Florida for the holiday.

That really pissed off the democrats, so much that they tried to pass a holiday vote on Christmas, but it was blocked. Told you, drama...

The holiday came and passed, Friday and Saturday were gone too, but no word from the president. At this point I was sure that he was going to pocket veto the whole thing and that we're all doomed. But to my surprise, he came through. Perhaps he was told that if he will veto or pocket veto he will go down as the worst president in history (true or false? up to debate), and he did not like that... Whatever it was, he signed. On Sunday the 27th.

We were obviously all very relieved when he signed, but it was a little too late, in a sense. The week long wait for the president's signature severely delayed the distribution of the new bill. Had Trump signed the bill when he got it, the new law would have come into play already on Monday the 28th. But now, there is a gap, and the people will have to wait a week or so before they get the stimulus check. That also affected the people who were enrolled in unemployment, because their check for that week never came and was practically lost.

What about the $2000? Oh, here it is. Lawmakers and representatives of the house were just furious from all the mess, and democrats were still pushing for the $2000 check in order to at least get a small win from this whole thing.

On Monday the 28th, the house passed a measure to increase the $600 stimulus check to $2000, meaning every person will get 600$ now and as soon as this is passed the senate, 1400$ more. Now it just needs to passed the senate...

Well, that's where the drama started again. You thought we're done right? Not remotely.

Some republicans showed support for this measure and some didn't. republicans were torn. You see, this too was testing them. Do I go with the president's wishes and vote yes or do I keep to my party's initial stance and say no? I know, puberty is confusing.

The big drama was between majority spokesman Mitch McConnell and minority leader Chuck Schumer. Here's what the latter said on Monday: "Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief, which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it – there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way"

Well, let me tell you Mr. Schumer, they did. They really stood in the way. The house tried to pass this bill for a vote in the senate many, many times that week, but it was blocked again and again by no other than Mitch McConnell.

Almost everyday there were efforts from the democratic party to push for a vote in the senate, but McConnell did not have it. Not Evan when Schumer urged the Senate to join Trump and the House to increase the amount arguing that "working Americans have taken it on the chin" during the pandemic.

In response McConnell said the 2000$ stimulus check has "no realistic path to quickly pass the senate" and added: "The Senate is not going to be bullied into rushing out more borrowed money into the hands of Democrats' rich friends who don't need the help,".

Horrifying. Yup.

McConnell stance is basically saying that if we want to respect the president wishes, we should pass a measure that includes all three of them, and not only one; the increase of the bill to 2000$, a full repeal of online liability protections and an investigation into alleged voter fraud .

You see what they're playing at now? They (including Trump) want to trade that money for a legit investigation of the recent elections. Now that's a twist in the plot.

In response Schumer said "At the very least, the Senate deserves the opportunity for an up-or-down vote," adding that "there is no other game in town than the House bill."

Seems impossible right? like that moment in the movie that you don't really know how the poor people get out of this mess they're in? Well just you wait, because Bernie Sanders is here to save the day! Here's what was said in CNN on Wednesday, December 30th:

Sanders has said he will delay the NDAA override vote unless McConnell brings a $2,000 checks to a vote on the floor. A final vote could stretch into Saturday if Sanders continues to hold it up. Eventually, though it will pass. It's just a matter of how long this takes.

Did it work? Deus ex machina? We don't know yet, but it looks like the threat didn't really faze anyone. Although it was nice to know that there was another ultimatum made.

Both Schumer and Sanders are pushing for a vote, and on Friday made two attempts to pass two different plans for the $2000 stimulus check, but McConnell blocked it again saying: "simply not the right approach" and repeated his argument that much of it is "socialism for rich people."

What now?

I know. It is all very frustrating. Currently (well, as of writing this), it doesn't look like we're going to get this kind of check. But at least we are getting the 600$ and there is no government shutdown.

Even though $600 is helpful, with everything going on this year an additional 1400 would have really made a difference to some people. To most people actually. And you know what, many will loose a lot, a lot, because of these petty arguments in the white house. I have seen more mature behavior on E! channel.

But not all hope is lost. There is actually one thing to look forward to: Joe Biden. The president elect showed support of the $2000 check during this week and added he had a plan to give the people of America the relief that they need, when he is inaugurated on January 20th. So just hold on America! Help is on the way.

Obviously, there is plenty to say about Biden and him replacing Trump will not make the US a paradise, but you have to admit, it does give hope.

The problem is, we will have to wait. The same way we have waited for help for a long time while the two parties negotiated on this bill, and the same way we had to wait for Trump to sign, and the same way we have to wait now for McConnell's action about the stimulus check.

I truly didn't think that Trump's administration could surprise me anymore, but here we are. I have the privilege to have (more like had...) savings and a family that is able to support me financially, but so many do not have that. how can McConnell not see the hardship that this year has brought to the American people, and people of the world?

The lack of understanding in the white house of the working man's life is beyond me. This whole ordeal just shows us again what we already knew- This previous government and it's president Donald Trump were not the representative of the people, but of only one group: Rich families that argue on camera and wear way to much make up.

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Thank you so much for reading, I hope this was somewhat interesting and insightful.

Reminding again that this is an opinion column and even though everything went through a fact check, please check the facts yourself and learn more about things I haven't mentioned. Here are links to check out:

One way Trump could block the stimulus bill: A pocket veto

McConnell says bill to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 has 'no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate'

Vote on $2,000 stimulus checks blocked twice in Senate Friday

House passes bill for $2,000 stimulus checks – leaving it up to GOP-controlled Senate

Trump threatens to not sign COVID-19 bill, wants bigger stimulus checks

There is no sign that a bill on $2,000 checks is going to get a vote in the Senate

McConnell blocks effort to quickly increase direct stimulus payments

McConnell says bill to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 has 'no realistic path to quickly pass the Senate'

Senate Democrats push for $2,000 stimulus checks as clock winds down on 116th Congress

Is a $300 unemployment boost a disincentive to work? Covid relief bill revives anxiety

©Coral Mizrachi