Trump’s Executive Order Update
August 10, 2020As negotiations over another round of COVID relief legislation stalls in Congress, President Trump on August 8 signed four Executive Orders that circumvented Congressional roadblocks. These Executive Orders would: defer payroll taxes through the end of the year for families earning less than $100,000 annually, defer student loan payments through the end of the year, continue eviction moratoriums, and extend unemployment benefits at a reduced level of $400 extra per week, with states required to chip in 25 percent. Though the National Assembly supports most of these policies in theory, at least some of these Executive Orders are outside of Presidential power as Congress has the constitutional authority to determine federal spending and tax policy. Expect many legal challenges in the weeks to come.
Below are a list of the Executive Orders signed on Saturday:
- Memorandum on Continued Student Loan Payment Relief During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Executive Order on Fighting the Spread of COVID-19 by Providing Assistance to Renters and Homeowners
- Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster
- Memorandum on Authorizing the Other Needs Assistance Program for Major Disaster Declarations Related to Coronavirus Disease 2019