Trump Ready to Act on Stimulus Checks, Meadows Reveals
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows has revealed that President Donald Trump was ready to sign a bill that includes stimulus checks, liability protection for small businesses, Payroll Protection Program (PPP) extension, and post-office funding.
There is reportedly a plan for Congress to go back for a session anytime this month, despite the busy schedules of lawmakers in the Democrats and Republicans conventions. This was after the House Democrats decried Trump's threat to withhold funding for USPS and linked it to the administration's opposition to mail-in voting.
In a BBC News report, Trump said the universal mail voting would make the country a laughing stock as he continued his strong opposition against the postal voting system.
The USPS has warned that millions of mail-in votes for November's election may not arrive in time to be counted.
Meadows now challenged the Democratic lawmakers to go back to Washington and discuss the second round of stimulus checks on the floor, including the PPP for small businesses and the postal funding.
He noted that if lawmakers pass it, the President will sign it immediately as he wanted to help millions of Americans heavily affected by the economic crisis. Beneficiaries would likely get more than $1,200 stimulus checks.
Congress is in recess until early September. But a senior member of House Democratic leadership told Fox News that it's a matter of "when not if" they come back this week or next to focus on USPS funding, and possibly discuss the second round of new coronavirus relief bill.
Possible voter fraud should give pause about choosing the route of universal mail-in voting. "Even if every single voter voted by mail, we're talking about a 1.5 percent difference. I was in the room when the Postmaster General said he's willing to pay overtime to make sure that that happens," Meadows said.
He added that even the Postmaster General opposed the mail-in ballots because millions would be sent out, even those who did not request for it.
Citing the Postmaster General, Meadows said: "those rolls are not accurate. People move, people die. And yet when we are going to send out ballots all across the country, that's not just asking for a disaster. It really is knowing that what you're sending out is inaccurate."
Meadows stressed that such an election disaster could mean months of not knowing the 2020 presidential election results, which could lead to the House currently led by Democrats. The Democrats will then decide who becomes the president, according to Meadows.
Meanwhile, Trump said he is willing to offer the $25 billion for the ailing USPS and include $3.5 billion in election resources if the Democratic-dominated Congress will give what Republicans want, the second round of stimulus checks to millions of Americans.