Still, the attempted timeline corresponds with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s earlier promise to dispatch stimulus checks to families during this week. That plan was later upended by Trump, who initially refused to sign the stimulus package in an attempt to secure last-minute changes that his own party did not even support
A senior official at the Treasury Department, speaking on condition of anonymity to share the agency’s tentative plans, confirmed that they were sticking to the same targeted timeline as last week but said timing could change.
The last-minute rush to send the stimulus checks reflects the gargantuan task facing the U.S. government as it aims to deliver a wide array of new financial assistance quickly enough to avert a further dip in an already battered U.S. economy.
Not even a day ago, federal agencies had been bracing for the prospect of an abrupt shutdown. Now, the Trump administration is racing to distribute funds that aim to boost cash-strapped businesses and help unemployed workers at risk of losing their benefits.
“While it’s a huge relief that the bill is being signed, Donald Trump’s tantrum has created unnecessary hardship and stress for millions of families,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said in a statement late Sunday.
The uncertainty about the programs reflects the urgent circumstances of the country’s recent economic decline. Many labor groups, businesses and state and local governments had pleaded with Congress and the White House since the summer to strike a deal on a new stimulus. Programs authorized under the government’s last relief package, the $2 trillion Cares Act, began to expire in July.
Now, the process of doling out roughly $900 billion in long-sought aid is set to start in the final days of the Trump administration, right as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to enter the White House. Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are all vacationing this week, though a Treasury Department spokesperson said Mnuchin and Trump have been in contact.
In addition to the emergency relief funds, the newly enacted law directs the government to appropriate $20 billion for coronavirus testing, for example, and $8 billion for vaccine distribution. It allocates $13 billion in fresh money to help families afford food, and $10 billion to help parents cover the cost of childcare. There is new aid to boost arts programs and expand the availability of high-speed internet access. And lawmakers set aside billions more to ensure families can stay in their homes — and transit agencies could literally keep the trains running on time.
Even the mere availability of relief already appeared to offer the economy a slight jolt Monday, as Southwest Airlines announced it would not need to slash its workforce and reduce its wages after Trump opted to sign the stimulus package. The Dow Jones…
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