Americans are getting desperate for more economic relief as the coronavirus pandemic rages on, and the second stimulus check is nowhere in sight. The topic practically took over social media this week, with many people calling out President Donald Trump in particular for the delay. Since the commander-in-chief is such a prolific Twitter user, many tried to appeal to him there.
The wait for a second stimulus check stretches on, with no end to be seen. The United States Senate left Washington, D.C., for a month-long recess starting on Aug. 10, meaning that they cannot negotiate or formally pass another economic relief bill. The U.S. Congress left shortly after but returned for an emergency hearing next week. Still, while these legislators are in charge of writing the stimulus bill, many have their eyes on the president for the final say.
The Senate and Congress must draft and pass a bill before it can be signed into law by the president, whose only job is to execute that law. That is especially true in the case of a stimulus package of this historic size — Trump has tried to skirt around this by issuing executive orders, for example. Still, none can match the scale of the stimulus package itself.
Still, Trump is not blameless in the delays to the second stimulus package. His administration had a heavy hand in the writing of the latest bill, the HEALS Act, advising Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Trump hopes that a sizable stimulus check will help his chances at re-election, though he has alternately assured Americans that it is coming and that they don't really need it at all.
"Nobody knows the deal better than I do," Trump said in a televised press conference on Saturday. "When it's right, I'll meet. But right now, it's not right. They want $1 trillion to bail out badly-run states. They're Democrat-run states. Will something happen? Possibly. But I want to tell you; the country is doing very well right now. We can live very happily with it [or] without it."
Many Americans disagree, judging by the outcry on Twitter. This week, many are calling out the president, ironically or otherwise, demanding that he use his "Art of the Deal" to get a stimulus check passed.