Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin is warning Democrats to think twice before challenging the legality of four executive orders that President Trump signed on Saturday. After negotiations broke down in Congress, Sec. Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows recommended the president use executive orders to expedite much-needed aid directly to the American people. During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Chris Wallace asked Sec. Mnuchin about the legality of Trump's use of executive orders to bypass Congress.
"We’ve cleared with the Office of Legal Counsel all these actions," Mnuchin told Wallace. "If the Democrats want to challenge us in court and hold up unemployment benefits to those hardworking Americans that are out of a job because of COVID, they’re going to have a lot of explaining to do."
The executive orders President Trump signed on Saturday extend enhanced unemployment benefits, retroactively cut payroll taxes for workers making $100,000 or less, and suspend student loan payments through the end of the year. The orders also direct the cabinet secretaries to provide relief to homeowners and renters facing eviction.
While both parties in Congress were in favor of additional Coronavirus relief spending, Republicans and Democrats failed to reach an agreement on how much spending should be in the bill. The end result of the failed negotiations was that Congress passed no bill and provided no relief to Americans still dealing with the effects of the coronavirus lockdowns.
If Democrats want to challenge Trump's executive authority and further hold up aid to struggling Americans, let them spend the next few months before the election explaining that to the American people.
