WTF Just Happened Today

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

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• Editor’s note: WTF Infrastructure Week begins now. This will be the last edition of WTFJHT this week. I’ll do a short update on Tuesday, December 29th and – unless something truly bonkers happens – the next time you’ll hear from me will be Monday, January 4. (There will also be a members-only update on the state of WTFJHT next week, so if you want in on that, be sure to become a supporting member). In the mean time, I hope you all have a safe and happy New Years, and – please! – don’t forgot to watch your distance, wear your mask, and wash your damn hands. I’m glad you’re here.

1/ Trump vetoed a $741 billion defense spending bill, which the House and Senate passed with veto-proof majorities. Trump refused to sign the legislation, saying it includes “provisions that fail to respect our veterans’ and military’s history” – a reference to a provision instructing the military to strip the names of Confederate leaders from military bases. Trump suggested that the bill was a “‘gift’ to China and Russia” and complained that the bill limited his authority to remove troops from Afghanistan and Germany. Trump also demanded a repeal of Section 230, which protects companies from legal responsibility for content posted on their websites. A repeal of Section 230 was not included in the National Defense Authorization Act. Both chambers plan to return the week after Christmas and are expected to vote to override the veto, making it the first successful veto override of Trump’s presidency. (Washington Post / Politico / New York Times / Axios)

2/ Trump suggested that he would not immediately sign the $900 billion coronavirus relief package passed by Congress, calling it a “disgrace” that was full of “wasteful and unnecessary” items. Trump demanded that Congress increase the “ridiculously low” $600 stimulus checks to $2,000. Trump largely left negotiations over the measure to lawmakers and his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who was responsible for the $600 stimulus check idea. “It’s called the Covid relief bill, but it has almost nothing to do with Covid,” Trump said in a video posted online. If Trump refuses to sign the bill, the government would shut down on Dec. 29, the emergency economic aid would be frozen, and benefits from the previous COVID relief bill would expire at the end of the month, including a moratorium on evictions and extended unemployment insurance – all of which were addressed in the package approved by a veto-proof margin. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, responded to Trump’s call to increase stimulus checks to $2,000 per adult, saying she’d bring the measure to the floor by “unanimous consent” this week. (New York Times / Washington Post / Politico / Bloomberg / NPR ...

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