President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he supports direct payments to Americans larger than $1,200 in the next piece of legislation, which lawmakers will debate in July.
House Democrats in their HEROES Act have said they want to distribute $1,200 payments to eligible Americans and children, although GOP leaders have said the bill contains too many unnecessary measures that are unrelated to economic recovery. The CARES Act, passed in March, included $1,200 payments and checks as well as $500 payments to children.
Trump said in the interview that the last bill—and the HEROES Act—creates a “disincentive to work.” He’s most likely referring to the extra $600 per week in unemployment insurance that is slated to expire at the end of July.
“You'd make more money if you don’t go to work,” he said of the measure, “that’s not what [this] country is all about.”
Trump said that Americans “want to work,” adding that he wants to “create a tremendous incentive” to return to the workplace.
“Any bill that passes the Senate will have liability protections in it,” the Kentucky Republican said. “This is liability protections for everyone… everybody who interacted with this pandemic. Unless you’re grossly negligent or intentionally engaged in misconduct, we’re going to see to it that you don’t get sued on top of everything else you’ve had to deal with in trying to get through this.”
Other Republican leaders have become more willing to pass stimulus legislation that includes direct payments to Americans, while Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told lawmakers in June that it’s likely more stimulus checks and payments will be needed.