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Trump Finally Signed The Paltry Pandemic Relief Bill, But Only After Millions Lost A Week Of Unemployment Insurance

Donald Trump only has a few weeks left as President of the United States, but that still leaves plenty of time to wreak havoc. He saved one of his cruelest acts for his final month: He torpedoed a much-needed COVID-19 relief bill, resulting in millions of Americans losing their unemployment insurance the day after Christmas. On Sunday night he had one of his unpredictable changes of heart: As per The New York Times, he belatedly signed the bill. But not everyone was ready to congratulate him on doing the right thing after some damage was already done.

The relief bill will provide $900 billion in relief — down significantly from the $2.3 trillion package signed in late March. It’s only the second such package since the pandemic took over America. Ever since, Democratic lawmakers have struggled to get their Republican counterparts — most prominently Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell — to pass a second wave of governmental aid, with no luck. Only with the threat of millions being pushed into poverty — and a hotly contested Senate runoff in Georgia in early January that could see the Senate flipped blue — did Republicans budge on certain key items.

But it was all for naught. On Tuesday, Trump uploaded a video to Twitter and Facebook in which he railed against the bill, demanding that the skimpy $600 to be sent to most Americans be inflated to a far more helpful $2,000. It seemed like a middle finger to Republican congresspeople, who he’s accused of largely not helping him baselessly overturn the election he lost. But Republicans didn’t budge. And nor did Trump.

And so on Christmas Day, millions of Americans lost their unemployment insurance, their lives thrown further into question. Meanwhile, Trump golfed.

Now those citizens will have their unemployment restored — but only after losing a week of money, during the holidays, during a pandemic.

People on social media were quick to point out that Trump deserves little praise for being so slow.

Some questioned the strategy of making Republicans look heartless during the holidays, with a key race on the horizon.

Some flat-out called Trump useless.

And some reminded us that, barring some surreal last minute plot twist, in less than a month Trump is out of a job. But he can always go on unemployment.

(Via The New York Times)