Trump Urges Congress to Approve 1,200 Stimulus Checks

Trump Urges Congress to Approve 1,200 Stimulus Checks

Amidst the difficulties in negotiating the stimulus package, President Trump has not proposed using the untapped coronavirus relief funds to send $1,200 checks directly to Americans.

As Fox News reported, President Trump is asking Congress to approve the measure.

"There's $300 billion in accounts that I didn't use," Trump said at a White House press conference on Friday. 'If Congress approves it, I would be happy to release it and use it as a stimulus package.' [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is asking for $2.2 trillion, while Republicans are asking for closer to $1.3 trillion. [According to CNBC, lawmakers must approve a spending bill by the end of the month to avoid a government shutdown. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Sunday that the plan would fund federal government operations through December.

However, Congress is also reportedly set to resume negotiations over a new stimulus package once it returns from recess.

President Trump did not say exactly where the $1,200 stimulus funding would come from, but according to Fox News, there are unused business loan funds that were previously approved.

Another sticking point in the stimulus negotiations is the amount of money earmarked for state and local government aid. Democrats want $900 billion in new relief, while the White House wants a more modest $150 billion.

Both sides have agreed for weeks on the need for additional stimulus, but other parts of the package have proved more problematic. The current hope is that Congress will pass a proposal by the end of September.

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