Biden promises larger stimulus package – Trump cast doubts on existing measure
President-elect asks for patience, while President takes to Twitter of push for bigger checks - NBC's Alice Barr reporters
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KYMA, KECY) - In a pre-Christmas address, President-elect Joe Biden spoke Tuesday about the pandemic, the economy, and Monday night's passage of a $900-billion COVID relief bill.
Biden promised to work with Congress for another, larger, stimulus package once the takes office in January.
Then, President Donald Trump cast doubt on whether he'll sign off on the current round of emergency relief.
Earlier in the day, the President-elect urged vigilance against COVID-19 ahead of the holidays.
"Our darkest days in the battle against covid are ahead of us, not behind us." said Biden.
Biden also spoke out against the suspected Russian cyber-attacks that infiltrated U.S. government agencies and private businesses.
"This assault happened on Donald Trump's watch, when he wasn't watching. Rest assured that even if he does not take it seriously, I will." he said.
The President-elect promising more help for the battered U.S. economy, and vowed to negotiate another round of stimulus money.
Monday night, Congress finally passed a $900 billion COVID relief package. It includes more money for unemployment benefits, and small businesses. It also provides direct payments of $600 for Americans making less than $75,000 a year, plus another $600 for every child.
Those payments could start arriving next week.
The White House had said President Trump would sign the bill into law, but Tuesday night he cast doubt on that. In a video posted to Twitter, he railed against what he calls the bill's "wasteful spending," and asked to increase direct payments to $2,000, while again falsely claiming he could still be in office next year.
"Send me a suitable bill, or else the next administration will have to deliver a COVID relief package. And maybe that administration will be me." said Trump.
If the President should decide to veto the bill, Congress could override him with a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers.
Trump Tuesday also began what's expected to be a flurry of pardons, including two men who pleaded guilty as part of the Mueller Russia Investigation.
