Trump threatens COVID-19 relief supported by Washington, Idaho legislators of both parties

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he may not sign the recently-approved bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill, potentially upending a deal that many of his fellow Republicans – including those representing the Inland Northwest – supported.

A veto of the bill could force Republicans to choose between reversing their position or crossing the president.

After months of negotiation and finger-pointing, Congress approved $900 billion in COVID-19 relief, like small business support and enhanced unemployment benefits, along with a $1.4 trillion spending package to keep the government funded and operational through September 2021.

Trump did not explicitly threaten to veto the legislation, but in a video posted to his Twitter page, Trump urged Congress to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000 each.

The request was immediately welcomed by Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi. It was Republicans, including Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who had objected to larger individual payments, citing their cost.

In a tweet, Sen. Patty Murray said that if Trump could get Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and “his party on board, we can get this done. And we absolutely should.”

Trump also criticized the spending package for what he believed was wasteful spending, including foreign aid and support for cultural institutions like the The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

If he rejects the package, Trump could force a government shutdown. He signed a temporary measure on Monday that will keep the government funded only for one week.

A veto override requires the support of two-thirds of members in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Both are already expected to return next week for an override vote on Trump’s veto of the $740 billion annual defense bill.

It’s unclear if Trump’s objections to the COVID-19 relief and spending package will be enough to sway Congress unless his arguments convince legislators to change positions. The legislation passed the House and Senate with enough support to override a potential veto.

The proposal was widely supported, with reservations, by Republicans and Democrats representing the Inland Northwest on Monday.

In her initial statement following the package’s passage in the House, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who voted in favor of it, lauded Republicans for fighting “against frivolous spending while making sure American families and small business owners are taken care of.”

Rep. Russ Fulcher, who represents western Idaho, supported the bill on Monday but criticized the payments to individuals – not because they were insufficient, but because they are too broadly distributed.

Spokespeople for Idaho Senators Jim Risch and Mike Crapo did not return requests for comment on Wednesday.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, whose legislation aimed at increasing the development of affordable housing was included in the package, doubled down on her support of it on Wednesday.

“We’re at a point where if we don’t act on this legislation, many Americans could be left without homes,” Cantwell said on Twitter. “The lack of affordable housing in our country has been a long-standing crisis, but the COVID pandemic has made it much worse.”