Pennsylvania Sen. Pat Toomey said that even though he disagrees with a number of the provisions in the bill, President Trump needs to sign the multitrillion-dollar spending package so vital relief funds can be distributed to people and businesses in need.
“Look, if it were just a freestanding government funding bill, I would almost certainly be voting against that,” Toomey said. “But I think the COVID relief measures are really, really important. And, you know, in my state, as in many other states, we have governors who are closing down businesses again. People are out of work, certainly through no fault of their own.”
Last week, both the House and the Senate cleared a $2.3 trillion spending package that included more than $900 billion in coronavirus stimulus and a $1.4 trillion spending bill for the 2021 fiscal year.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers announced the compromise coronavirus bill on Dec. 1 after months of failed negotiations and government inaction. The bill included support for small businesses and temporary liability shields against coronavirus-related lawsuits, both important measures for Republicans, and a new round of supplemental federal unemployment and support for state and local governments — two must-haves for many Democrats.
In a video posted on social media, Trump ripped the bill, calling it a “disgrace.”
“Congress found plenty of money for foreign countries, lobbyists, and special interests while spending the bare minimum on the American people who need it,” Trump said. “It wasn’t their fault.”
The president has yet to sign the bill into law.
As a result, millions of people on Saturday lost access to jobless benefits that were expanded to be available to individuals not usually covered by unemployment insurance, including those who are self-employed. The outgoing president’s inaction sets up a potential government shutdown on Tuesday when a stop-gap spending measure expires.
“You don’t get everything you want even if you’re the president of the United States,” Toomey said. “I don’t agree with $2,000 checks to people who have had no lost income whatsoever, which is the vast majority of Americans, but the president is free to make that case. Democrats will agree with that and see where it ends up. But we’ve got a bill right now that his administration helped negotiate. I think we ought to get that done.”
“I think we need the extended on employment benefits,” the Pennsylvania senator said. “I think we need another round of the PPP loans, which really grants the small businesses to keep their workforce, you know, part of their business. And time is running out.”
