They never did, and the president ultimately declared a national emergency to divert other federal money to fund it himself, a move that drew legal challenges. Mr. Trump claimed that the action would provide $400 weekly in enhanced unemployment benefits, $200 less than laid-off workers had been receiving under benefits that lapsed at the end of July. “If they don’t, they don’t — that’s going to be their problem,” Mr. Trump said. (Mr. Trump vowed that if re-elected in November, he would extend the deferral and the payments.) If Mr. Trump tried to make a payroll tax cut permanent, it would have a drastic effect on the funding of Social Security, which he has previously vowed not to cut.

Source: New York Times August 08, 2020 23:46 UTC