Quote from Savings Beagle on December 23, 2020, 9:55 am

And this is why I don't report final details of any piece of legislation prior to it receiving a president's signature.

Yes, once any bill is passed by any legislature, it usually will become law in that form.  But I learned over the years of working in the legislative system that you never know what might happen.

With his Covid-19 Relief Bill video yesterday, President Trump, potentially, threw a wrench into the relief legislation process.

While he did not say he wouldn't sign the bill into law, he did express concerns and pushed Congress to reconsider the $600 per person stimulus payments (for those individuals with incomes $75,000 or less and couples $150,000 or less) calling the amount, "ridiculously low," and urging an amount of $2,000 per person or $4,000 for a couple.

Democrats immediately jumped on this saying they're all for it...unsurprisingly.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now calling for a voice vote on the $2,000 per person amount.

Ahhhh, politics.

Additionally, President Trump, in his video, listed off a number of expenditures - many of which are to foreign countries...that are part of this bill as a way of saying "why should they get so much money when Americans only get $600?"

What he doesn't mention, and many news outlets leave out, too, is that not only does this bill contain Covid relief measures, but also the full operating budget for the U.S. government for the coming year.  So, while funding in the big picture can be argued as to whether more should be done for individuals, it's a bit disingenuous to let it appear the Covid relief portion includes funding for foreign governments, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in D.C. and a variety of federal programs, to name just a few...those are part of the larger federal operating budget.

And, it's also important to note, because of the bill's size...over 5,000 pages...it still is being compiled, and has yet to be presented to the president for his signature.  That should happen in the next day...or next week since we then hit Christmas Day.

Considering Congress waited until the very last minute to put together a Covid relief bill, technically, President Trump could do absolutely nothing with the bill...no veto or signature...and the current Congress would end without a Covid relief bill or federal operating budget for next year.  If this were to happen, a new bill would need to be introduced once the new Congress is seated on January 3, 2021, passed by both the House and Senate and, once again, sent to President Trump for his signature.  Or, Congress could wait until President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office on January 20, 2021, and move the legislation then.

My guess is President Trump will sign a bill...I don't know what the final bill text will be, though...prior to year's end.

Whether stimulus payments to individuals will be $600, or a much larger amount, is the question.