Policy and Legal

Policy and Legal

Trump Threatens Executive Actions for COVID-19 Relief

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President Trump threatened to use executive actions if Republicans and Democrats can’t reach a deal on the next round of stimulus, reports The Washington Post (subscription). How much he can accomplish unilaterally is unclear, however.

What he said: “We’re negotiating right now as we speak, and we’ll see how that works out,” Trump said. “In the meantime, my administration is exploring executive actions to provide protections against eviction . . . . As well as additional relief to those who are unemployed as a result of the virus. Very importantly, I’m also looking at a term-limited suspension of the payroll tax.”

Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill: Democrats and Republicans intended to come to a deal by the end of this week. The latest word is that it will happen “in the near future,” according to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

NAM connection: The NAM has been urging Congress to include liability protections in the next stimulus package. To that end, it organized a “Day of Action” yesterday on social media, calling for “commonsense protection from opportunistic lawsuits in order to fuel our recovery and help creators respond to this crisis.” A range of groups and organizations participated in the Day of Action, including the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Manufacturers Association and the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association.

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