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Trump Slams COVID-19 Relief Bill, Asks For Changes After Bitter Negotiations

President Trump threatened a hard-fought relief bill passed by Congress on Monday, calling it "a disgrace" in a video released on Twitter Tuesday evening.
Saul Loeb
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AFP via Getty Images
President Trump threatened a hard-fought relief bill passed by Congress on Monday, calling it "a disgrace" in a video released on Twitter Tuesday evening.

Congressional leaders took seven months to negotiate the $900 billion package, which was passed with overwhelming majorities that could overturn a presidential veto.

President Trump is slamming a $900 billion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress on Monday after months of bitter negotiations.

In a video released on his Twitter feed Tuesday evening, the president said the bill was a "disgrace" and asked for substantial changes, like increasing payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for couples.

The relief package was passed as part of a bill to fund government operations for the rest of the fiscal year, though the president did sign a stopgap measure that extends government funding until Monday.

Trump blasts money appropriated for foreign aid, environmental programs and cultural institutions, calling them "wasteful."

Trump did not expressly threaten to veto the legislation. It was passed by overwhelming majorities in the House and Senate, with enough votes to potentially override a presidential veto if Trump were to carry out that option.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Arnie Seipel
Arnie Seipel is the Deputy Washington Editor for NPR. He oversees daily news coverage of politics and the inner workings of the federal government. Prior to this role, he edited politics coverage for seven years, leading NPR's reporting on the 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections. In between campaigns, Seipel edited coverage of Congress and the White House, and he coordinated coverage of major events including State of the Union addresses, Supreme Court confirmations and congressional hearings.
Domenico Montanaro is NPR's senior political editor/correspondent. Based in Washington, D.C., his work appears on air and online delivering analysis of the political climate in Washington and campaigns. He also helps edit political coverage.
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