Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King are among a bipartisan group of 13 senators and representatives who called on President Trump on Thursday to sign the $900 billion COVID-19 emergency relief package.
“As members of the bipartisan, bicameral ‘908’ Coalition,’ we urge the president to sign the COVID relief package,” the legislators said in a statement issued Christmas Eve. “The legislation would bring desperately need help to struggling families, unemployed workers, hard-hit small businesses, an overburdened health care system, stressed schools and so many others. It would provide robust funding for testing and vaccine distributions at a critical time.”
“By signing the bill, the president would be providing the best possible Christmas gift to the American people,” the lawmakers said. Members of both political parties in both branches of Congress supported the request including Collins, a Republican, and King, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
But the fate of the $900 billion COVID-19 emergency relief package, which was negotiated by members of both parties, remained in limbo Christmas Eve after Trump said he would not sign the measure unless Americans were issued $2,000, instead of $600 checks. The package was sent to his desk on Christmas Eve. Unemployment benefits, eviction protections and other emergency aid, including the smaller $600 checks, are now at risk.
Trump left Washington, D.C., on Wednesday to spend the holiday at his club in Mar-A-Lago, Florida. A federal shutdown could occur at midnight Monday if he refuses to sign the $900 billion package.
The 908 Coalition is the informal name of the bipartisan, bicameral group Senators Collins and Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, put together the day after the Nov. 3 election. The “908” refers to the $908 billion framework that they proposed this month and became the foundation of the relief bill that passed Congress this week.
In addition to King, Collins and Manchin, the senators who urged the president to sign the relief package include: Mitt Romney, R-Utah; Jeanne Shaheen D-New Hampshire; Maggie Hassan, D-New Hampshire; Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska; Rob Portman, R-Ohio; Dick Durbin, D-Illinois; Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana; Mark Warner, D-Virginia; as well as Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs, Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey; and Tom Reed, R-New York.
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