Trump Takes Executive Action On Unemployment and Other Relief, Dares Dems to Sue
If Democrats sue, the party that always claims Republicans want to kill grandma and starve children would be in the posture of taking stuff away from people at a difficult time.
Donald Trump announced several stimulus items taken by executive action after Democrats — as they did in the spring — held financial stimulus hostage to their grab bag of goodies unrelated to the virus.
Only one of the actions taken by Trump was through an Executive Order, the rest were through memoranda. Law Professor Josh Blackmun has an explanation of the rather complex nature of the procedures used and mechanisms implemented.
Fox News reports on the details:
$400 weekly federal unemployment aid
Trump’s order calls for $400-per-week in supplemental unemployment aid. Unemployed people were getting $600-a-week extra until the federal program expired at the end of July.
Trump’s action would require states to pay for 25 percent of the $400 weekly benefit, while the federal government would pick up 75 percent.
Trump would divert up to $44 billion from FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund to cover the unemployment program….
Assistance to Renters and Homeowners
Congress passed the CARES Act in March that issued a 120-day temporary eviction moratorium on renters in federal housing assistance programs or those who live in a property with a federally backed mortgage. That eviction moratorium expired in July.
Trump’s executive order would continue federal efforts to help renters and homeowners avoid eviction or foreclosure for failing to make their monthly payments.
Payroll Tax holiday
Trump defers the payroll tax from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020, for employees making $100,000 or less a year. The tax funds Social Security and Medicare.
Extension of Student Loan Relief
The executive action suspends federal student loan payments and sets interest rates to 0 percent through Dec. 31, 2020. The current student loan relief programs were to expire on Sept. 30.
Is what Trump just did legal?
At this point, we are so far down the rabbit hole of Executive Orders and Memoranda, that much of what Congress used to do gets done by the Executive. As the Supreme Court via John Roberts demonstrated with DACA, what a president (Obama in that case) does by executive action can start as illegal but gain de facto legality unless the subsequent administration unwinds it properly.
I am not a fan of executive orders, but I distinctly recall the liberal SOCTUS telling me they were a thing and they can't be undone so if them's the rules, them's the breaks.
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) August 8, 2020
The other dynamic is that once people receive a benefit, it’s really hard politically to take it away. The $600 per week bonus unemployment payment created a situation where people making less than %50,000 per year who lost their jobs had a financial incentive to stay out of work. I don’t expect people to make economically irrational decisions, and it’s rational if you are making substantially less than $50,000 per year not to return to work. Numerous contractors and landscapers have told me that they have a hard time hiring people even though they are busy because they make more not working. That dynamic will change a little because Trump lowered the $600 bonus to $400.
The third dynamic is that the Democrats are hardpressed to try to stop it in court. The party that always claims Republicans want to kill grandma and starve children would be in the posture of taking stuff away from people at a difficult time.
Trump basically dared them to try.
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“I am not a fan of executive orders, but I distinctly recall the liberal SOCTUS telling me they were a thing and they can’t be undone so if them’s the rules, them’s the breaks.”
Kurt is wrong. The Roberts court will flip-flop and say this violates the Constitution because shut up you racist.
Yes, because Rule #1 is that the rules are always to be interpreted and enforced (or not) in the way that benefits the leftist agenda.
Great Maker, I’m so damn tired of this shit. Where is the extra money for all of us who ended up in “essential businesses” that were forced to expose ourselves to the public on a daily basis throughout the entirety of this so-called “Pandemic”. You know, the people that kept what little business open actually open for business. Could I have an extra $600 per week? How about and extra $400 per week until this whole thing is declared over. And yes, I’m greedy. I want some of that money. I think I and everyone else that risked their health and lives in “essential businesses” deserve some of the money that is being given to the unemployed. Greedy bastard? Yes. SOB? Yes. But I’m just effing tired of everyone else benefiting financially from the pandemic and being left out of the whole thing.
Do not be sure that you will be “left out of the whole thing” for too long. This immense money printing may result in material inflation and you will “enjoy” the opportunity of paying higher prices. All this money in the system is pushing up prices – houses, stocks and, especially, gold. Trump was a Democrat for much of his life and has not showed much fiscal responsibility even before the pandemic – when we were on track for a trillion dollar deficit during record low unemployment. He can give away “free stuff” with the best of them.
“Trump was a Democrat for much of his life…”
BS.
Wikipedia quote: In a 2004 interview, Trump told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer: “In many cases, I probably identify more as Democrat,” explaining: “It just seems that the economy does better under the Democrats than the Republicans.
I am not someone who thinks Trump is always “playing 11-dimension chess” with his opponents, but in this case he might be counting on Pelosi & Co to jaw a Federal court into blocking it.
Given the nuclear-hot hatred the Communist Party and the Joseph Goebbels media have for Trump, and the sleazy nature of John Roberts and much of the Federal judiciary, I would not be surprised if this was blocked. Trump could make political capital out of such obstruction (“I tried to help, but Democrats want to see you go on suffering!”).
My husband and I were jokingly talking about that. We have an essential business. We depend on other businesses being open so we can be paid. Our largest clients have been put on perpetual hold by our bitch of a governor so what the company is bringing in now is just enough to pay our employees, fed and state taxes, insurance, rent… everyone but us. And we’re working 60-80 hours a week. We’d be better off closing down temporarily and getting on the “free money” gravy train because at least then we wouldn’t have to spend a year burning through savings for our needs. I’m not crazy about people getting paid to sit at home but I’m really tired of busting my ass and not getting paid.
Well if this isn’t blocked you’d be getting money back by not having to pay payroll taxes.
Do you? The word being used with regard to payroll taxes is “defer”, which usually implies a future obligation to make good.
Baloney, Roberts is a traitor to the Constitution and this country and would never have allowed Pres. Trump to “unwind” the illegal executive order Obama issued that established DACA no matter how Pres. Trump did it. And I guarantee you that same Roberts supreme court is going to declare any executive orders or memorandum Pres. Trump issues as unconstitutional and illegal and unenforceable. That’s what traitors like John Roberts does.
Donald Trump just assured his re-election. Ironically, he can thank Nancy Pelosi’s unconscionable overreach for forcing his hand.
True. But they won’t get the case before the November election.
And Trumps message before then is simple … “elect Republicans we are the ones trying to help”
Yeah I hate the give stuff for free because Dems shut down the economy message, because it’s not free. Our kids will pay for it. But practically speaking if it keeps Biden out and good conservative stuff happens in the second term, I can live with it.
I wouldn’t count on the courts not deciding this case before November. Communist judges on the Federal courts are willing to move at warp speed if they think they can use their power to screw “racists” (read: anyone who does not bow the knee before Chairman Mao and Fidel Castro). Remember how quickly Federal judges in Hawaii and the People’s Democratic Republic of California issued insane nationwide injunctions for this-or that in total defiance of the Constitution?
I agree some court may rule before November. However, if it is some liberal lower court, the Democrats will still get the blame and Trump will add his standard “vote for me to get more conservative judges appointed” theme. If SCOTUS rules against him, the situation might be more ambiguous – depending on the vote and what is said – but Trump would probably continue the theme anyway. (In my opinion, Pelosi overplayed her hand.)
“However, if it is some liberal lower court, the Democrats will still get the blame and Trump will add his standard “vote for me to get more conservative judges appointed” theme.”
The more I think about it, the more I suspect Trump is hoping for just that. And his opponents hate him so much I think they will end up doing just what he wants. I have never believed Trump is some sort of super-duper master political strategist, but his opponents tend to be greedy, stupid, and (above all) arrogant. It is that last trait that keeps undermining their fight against Trump (the wackadoodle strategy of using an easy-to-disprove lie by blaming “white supremacists” for the Antifa/BLM riots in deep blue cities is another example of their out of control arrogance).
“I have never believed Trump is some sort of super-duper master political strategist”
I didn’t believe it either, until he won a Presidential election with the entire media and half his own party against him while being outspent 2 or 3 to 1.
Disagree that Trump is a master strategist. I believe Biden would have won in 2016, as he would not have lost states like PA, would not have called half the country “a basket of deplorables”, does not come across as very unlikable, and would not have had the “crooked” tag..
“and would not have had the “crooked” tag..”
Obviously the jb in your moniker stands for (crooked) Joe Biden.
What Trump should do is enforce jurisdiction on them. Ok Mr Hawaiian judge, your ruling only applies in the district of Hawaii. Hawaiians, what do you think about your judges screwing you? Repeat when CA9 does the same thing.
“Our kids will pay for it.”
The government shutting down businesses for the public good seems like a taking for which just compensation is owed. Perhaps our kids could afford the bill being racked up if marxists are kept out of government so our economy can grow, interest rates are kept low, and usurious interest rates on credit cards are abolished.
doesn’t matter when they get the case all that matters is suit is filed.
when it happens we all need to post that everywhere we can, democrats trying to block benefits for people out of work.
again, when the suit gets heard AND no matter the ruling the SALIENT fact is that a suit was filed.
think that explains my thinking well enough.
PDJT Superpower #17: Making the establishment boomerang upon itself. Every. Time.
Wonder if any of the states will refuse to pay their 25%? Is that meant to flush out Dem state tyranny even more?
If they refuse the right thing to do is order that this relief money doesn’t go to residents of that state. Let the state government take the political hit for their decision.
Especially since no state officials have taken any kind of a pay cut. Who is essential again?
Social Security is paid out of general revenues regardless of what the books say about its funding. It’s a consequence of the government having to instantly return to circulation any dollars received, lest the money supply fall. No matter what fiction accounting creates, the SS funds wind up holding only IOUs, not money.
rhhardin: No matter what fiction accounting creates, the SS funds wind up holding only IOUs, not money.
Social Security is basically a pay-as-you-go system. If the payroll taxes stop, then Social Security ends, including grandmother’s check and medical insurance.
Oh, here’s the killer commie to explain SS to us.
Don’t you have some peasants to murder somewhere?
In other news, Durham told Brennan that he’s not under investigation. The Swamp protects itself once again
Schumer and Pelosi thought they had a stick they could use to bang Republicans over the head with. Trump grabbed those sticks, broke them in half, threw them at their feet, and pulled out a baseball bat. Let’s see them try to pull it out of his hands.
Or to put it more delicately, Trump has a phone and a pen.
If Trump can spend our trillions through executive order, so can the next democrat. Stop spending so much damn money and giving people free stuff. The $400 payments are never going to stop now. The Feds will subsidize people to not work from now until kingdom come (which is hopefully coming soon).
not the 2500 $ per month they wanted for UBI but 1600 $ a month is a start.
notice how the 600/week added up to approx 2571 $ (600/7*30.5) a month based on 30 day month average…. pretty darned close to UBI level they wanted.
500/wk would only have been approx 2143 $.
$600/week over 40 hours is $15/hr…$15/hr, now where have I heard that before?
yup I meant to check that out too and forgot.
odd isn’t it??
yeah….
Except he’s following a law Bill Clinton signed.
https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2020/08/09/trump-wins-thread-explains-why-everything-trump-did-with-covid-relief-orders-is-legal-and-sorry-not-sorry-democrats/
That’s really the thing, isn’t it? He shouldn’t be spending like this without congressional approval…. I never thought I’d say it, but he’ll get re-elected again, and will have doubled the debt. It’s disappointing
William A. Jacobson: At this point, we are so far down the rabbit hole of Executive Orders and Memoranda, that much of what Congress used to do gets done by the Executive.
So much for Republican values based on limited government. Deferring the payroll tax payment doesn’t mean it isn’t due at a later date, by the way.
Meanwhile, Trump says if reelected, he will eliminate the payroll tax. Without the payroll tax, there is no Social Security or Medicare. Let your mother or grandmother know you support cutting her off.
See rhhardin at 5:49. I agree about this cut will later need to be paid, but so will any stipend or unemployment enhancement. As a very small business owner, I (We) were missed by the first CoVid-19 support. Apparently the larger small businesses, who have office personnel, got to the PPP money first, and even businesses like Planned Parenthood received millions because the bill was so poorly written. I’m struggling to stay afloat. This payroll tax suspension may help.
rayc: I agree about this cut will later need to be paid, but so will any stipend or unemployment enhancement.
Under current law, Social Security and Medicare have dedicated funding mechanisms. If the dedicated funding is cut, then Social Security is required to cut benefits accordingly. If the dedicated funding is ended, then Social Security ends.
Trump promising to end the payroll tax is a promise to end Social Security and Medicare benefits.
>Without the payroll tax, there is no Social Security or Medicare.
There isn’t **NOW**. Or are you one of those delusional people who think that there’s this big vault with all our SS payments sitting secure?
Let me burst your bubble dear child: There is no pile of SS money and the Federal Government has been issuing I.O.U.s for SS for **decades**
I hope that doesn’t destroy your little psyche
tphillip: Or are you one of those delusional people who think that there’s this big vault with all our SS payments sitting secure?
No. The Social Security and Medicare systems are basically pay-as-you-go systems. The payments workers make now go to current recipients (grandmother’s Social Security check and Medicare). Stopping the payroll tax means ending funding for Social Security and Medicare.
Medicare is pay as you go…but…but…The Dems always say Social Security is a real trust box of money never touched. You are absolutely correct and more….These are Ponzi schemes dependent on on-going contributions to keep afloat.
alaskabob: The Dems always say Social Security is a real trust box of money never touched.
The trust fund is to account for fluctuations in revenues and expenditures, primarily the demographic bulge due to the retiring babyboomers. If the trust fund runs out too soon, then benefits will be automatically cut.
alaskabob: These are Ponzi schemes dependent on on-going contributions to keep afloat.
No. It’s not a Ponzi scheme, but an ongoing pay-as-you-go system.
Zach is a murdering marxist that supports the death of your granny.
Any “advice” or comment it makes is intended to support such murder.
Just following the law.
https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2020/08/09/trump-wins-thread-explains-why-everything-trump-did-with-covid-relief-orders-is-legal-and-sorry-not-sorry-democrats/
I was wondering how long it would take for Republicans to get around to stealing grandmas social security. Seems like they try to do that every 4 years like clockwork.
What kind of bag of shit needs to get votes by scaring little old ladies? The media in this country always perpetuate this bullshit.
I’m kinda dissapointed that the message isn’t rejected by Americans that should know better.
>I was wondering how long it would take for Republicans to get around to stealing grandmas social security.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Whew. That’s a good one.
You poor deluded fool. SS has been drained by a large bipartisan group for **decades**.
And you’re just noticing now.
AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!
tphillip: SS has been drained by a large bipartisan group for **decades**.
As above, you are conflating the trust fund, which is a buffer designed to assuage fluctuations in revenues and expenditures, with the fundamental structure of the program. Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system with a dedicated revenue stream. If you stop the payroll tax, you end benefit payments.
Social Security was not supposed to be pay as you go.
alaskabob: Social Security was not supposed to be pay as you go.
Social Security has always been a pay-as-you-go system, with some money set aside to account for fluctuations in revenues and expenditures.
https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/chartbooks/fast_facts/2019/fast_facts19.html#page35
https://www.nasi.org/learn/socialsecurity/overview
More commie lies. Find that “trust fund” and see what’s in it.
zero, a big fat zero.
If would be better for you if you stopped repeating obvious lies. Stopping the payroll tax does no such thing, because getting rid of the payroll tax implies nothing about other changes to the law, such as changing the funding for the system to the general fund, which would at least be more honest. Personally, I would be happy to eliminate the payroll tax if I could increase my 401k or IRA contributions by the same amount. I’d even be ok if I were required to increase them by that amount, so long as the bill doesn’t have a Democrat poison pill like requiring me to “invest” in federal bonds. I’d also like to increase the ridiculously small $6k limit on IRA contributions. Getting rid of the limit entirely would be preferable.
randian: Stopping the payroll tax does no such thing, because getting rid of the payroll tax implies nothing about other changes to the law,
Maybe the Mexicans will pay for it.
Trump proposed eliminating the payroll tax. He did not propose an alternative funding scheme.
randian: Personally, I would be happy to eliminate the payroll tax if I could increase my 401k or IRA contributions by the same amount.
Your current contributions pay for current benefits. If contributions were diverted to your personal savings, benefits for current recipients would end.
PHEEWW… kinda went over your head.
Every 4 years the Democrats come out and scare little old ladies telling them that the evil republicans are going to steal their social security checks. It pisses me off. I expect better.
Sooner or later the excrement will contact the ventilator and we’ll see inflation and taxation hit us all up the side of the head. And you know the Chinese will call their loans in. Even if they don’t call all of them, the markets will panic. The only thing keeping that from happening now is the US dollar is the world wide currency standard so even the Chinese need to be cautious so they, too, won’t go down with everybody else.
We’re thinking about using some of our savings to pay off a large loan or two to decrease our monthly exposure so higher expenses will be, hopefully, easier to meet.
.
I’ve had that bearish outlook at least since 1999 when I first encountered it in the libertarian press. But you know what they say about markets: if you bet against them, they can last a lot longer than you can stay solvent.
“Sooner or later…”
That’s been the story since I was 16 in 1969. Later must mean really later, as in centuries later.
“And you know the Chinese will call their loans in.”
Send them some more paper.
according to this Twitter thread over at Twitchy, Congress *gave* the President authority to suspend payroll taxes for up to a year..
and the people who made it possible are priceless: John Catshit and Billy the Rapist. 😎
https://twitchy.com/samj-3930/2020/08/09/trump-wins-thread-explains-why-everything-trump-did-with-covid-relief-orders-is-legal-and-sorry-not-sorry-democrats/