Pelosi calls Trump's coronavirus relief executive actions 'absurdly unconstitutional' (CNN)

[Mike 03]

CNN
Chandelis Duster, CNN
Updated 11:31 AM EDT, Sun August 09, 2020

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sunday called President Donald Trump's executive actions on coronavirus relief "absurdly unconstitutional."

"Well, the fact is, is that whether they're legal or not takes time to figure out. I associate my remarks with what the Senator (Ben) Sasse who says, they're 'unconstitutional slop.' Right now we want to address the needs of the American people," she told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" when asked if she would sue to block them. "As my constitutional advisers tell me, they're absurdly unconstitutional."

On Saturday, Trump bypassed Congress and asserted his executive powers by signing four actions on coronavirus relief after Democrats and the White House were unable to reach an agreement on a stimulus bill.

One of the actions will provide as much as $400 in enhanced unemployment benefits but that memorandum on enhanced unemployment benefits -- 25% of which states are being asked to cover -- has more strings attached than the White House acknowledged and is seen as a cumbersome effort that may not help a lot of the unemployed.

The other three actions he signed include a memorandum on a payroll tax holiday for Americans earning about $100,000 a year or less, an executive order on "assistance to renters and homeowners" and a memorandum on deferring student loan payments.

Read more: https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/08/09/politics/nancy-pelosi-trump-coronavirus-actions-cnntv/index.html

Thank you, Speaker Pelosi. And a hat tip to Ben Sasse (what a pleasant surprise).

[hlthe2b]

1. She should say "unconstitutional GIMMICK"

[triron]

2. So use the power of the purse, Nancy. JFC!