Charlotte, NC — Late Sunday evening, President Donald Trump announced that he was signing the coronavirus stimulus package and the government spending bill. Trump, under the use of the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, in an attempt to get Congress to drop what he called “wasteful spending” in order to get them to boost COVID stimulus checks. The Impoundment Control Act has a ‘redline’ provision that allows him to identify areas that must be addressed. Congress failed to act last week on his demand to increase checks from $600 per person to $2000.
“As President of the United States, it is my responsibility to protect the people of our country from the economic devastation and hardship that was caused by the China Virus,” Trump said. “I understand that many small businesses have been forced to close as a result of harsh actions by Democrat-run states. Many people are back to work, but my job is not done until everyone is back to work.”
“Fortunately, as a result of my work with Congress in passing the CARES Act earlier this year, we avoided another Great Depression. Under my leadership, Project Warp Speed has been a tremendous success, my administration and I developed a vaccine many years ahead of wildest expectations, and we are distributing these vaccines, and others soon coming, to millions of people,” he continued. “As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child.”
The president said he would sign the bill along with making many rescissions under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA), which allows the president to “impound funds when he transmits a ‘special message’ in accordance with the ICA,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office explains. “Upon sending the message, amounts proposed for rescission (that is, for permanent cancellation) may be impounded for a period of 45 days of continuous congressional session.”
“I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed. I will send back to Congress a redlined version, item by item, accompanied by the formal rescission request to Congress insisting that those funds be removed from the bill,” Trump said. “I am signing this bill to restore unemployment benefits, stop evictions, provide rental assistance, add money for PPP, return our airline workers back to work, add substantially more money for vaccine distribution, and much more.”
“On Monday the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000. Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200,” he added. “Additionally, Congress has promised that Section 230, which so unfairly benefits Big Tech at the expense of the American people, will be reviewed and either be terminated or substantially reformed.”
Soon after President Trump made this announcement, the White House distributed copies of a letter he sent to Speaker Pelosi.
“In accordance with section 6(b) of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (H.R. 133; the “Act”), I hereby designate for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism all funding (including the rescission of funds) so designated by the Congress in the Act pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as outlined in the enclosed list of accounts” were the words the President sent.
In the coming days, we will see how Congress responds to President Trump’s demands.
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