>> Sreenivasan: GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
THE DAY AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP SIGNED FOUR DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS
ON COVID-19 ECONOMIC RELIEF, BOTH CRITICS AND SUPPORTERS ARE
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS POSSIBLE AND WHAT IS LEGAL.
DEMOCRATIC LEADERS CALLED THE EXECUTIVE ACTIONS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND SAID THEY WON'T PROVIDE NECESSARY RELIEF
TO AMERICANS. SENATE MINORITY LEADER CHUCK
SCHUMER CRITICIZED THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN TO PROVIDE $400
IN WEEKLY EMERGENCY UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS—$200 LESS THAN THE
BENEFIT THAT EXPIRED ONE WEEK AGO.
STATES WOULD ALSO HAVE TO PAY 100 OF THOSE DOLLARS.
>>Senator Schumer: THIS IS AN UNWORKABLE PLAN. MOST STATES WILL TAKE MONTHS TO
IMPLEMENT IT, BECAUSE IT'S BRAND-NEW.
IT'S SORT OF PUT TOGETHER WITH SPIT AND PASTE.
AND MANY STATES, BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO CHIP IN $100, AND THEY
DON'T HAVE MONEY, WON'T DO IT.
>> Sreenivasan: YESTERDAY, THE
PRESIDENT SAID ONE OF THE ORDERS WOULD PROVIDE A TEMPORARY
PAYROLL TAX CUT, WHICH HE SAID WOULD BECOME PERMANENT AFTER THE ELECTION.
>> President Trump: IF I'M VICTORIOUS ON NOVEMBER
3, I PLAN TO FORGIVE THESE TAXES AND MAKE PERMANENT CUTS TO THE
PAYROLL TAX, I'M GOING TO MAKE THEM ALL PERMANENT.
>> Sreenivasan: THE EXECUTIVE ORDER MR. TRUMP SIGNED DEFERS
PAYROLL TAXES, BUT DOES NOT CUT THEM, MEANING EMPLOYERS AND
WORKERS COULD STILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING THEM
LATER. PAYROLL TAXES HELP FUND SOCIAL
SECURITY AND MEDICARE, AND TODAY WHITE HOUSE ECONOMIC ADVISOR
LARRY KUDLOW TRIED TO CLARIFY WHAT THE PRESIDENT MEANT WHEN HE
SAID THE CUT WOULD BE PERMANENT.
>>Kudlow: WHEN HE REFERRED TO
PERMANENT, I THINK WHAT HE WAS SAYING IS THAT THE DEFERRAL OF
THE PAYROLL TAX TO THE END OF THE YEAR WILL BE MADE PERMANENT.
IT WILL BE FORGIVEN.
>> Sreenivasan: HOUSE SPEAKER
NANCY PELOSI SAID SHE HOPES THAT THE WHITE HOUSE WILL COME BACK
TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE AND DID NOT COMMIT TO A LEGAL CHALLENGE.
>> Congresswoman Pelosi: RIGHT NOW, WE WANT TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AS CONSTITUTIONAL—MY CONSTITUTIONAL
ADVISERS TELL ME THEY'RE ABSURDLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
>> Sreenivasan: I SPOKE WITH "POLITICO" REPORTER CAITLIN EMMA
WHO IS COVERING THE PRESIDENT'S ACTIONS.
CAITLIN, WHEN WE SAW THE PRESIDENT LAY OUT HIS EXECUTIVE
ORDERS YESTERDAY, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT IS
WITHIN HIS RIGHTS AND HIS POWERS TO DO VERSUS CONGRESS THAT APPROVES SPENDING?
>> Emma: THESE EXECUTIVE ORDERS, AND I
THINK IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ACTUALLY ONLY ONE OF THEM IS AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER, THE REST WERE MEMORANDUMS, IN A SENSE THEY
CARRY A LITTLE BIT LESS WEIGHT IN THAT WAY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY I THINK WE'RE ALREADY SEEING SOME OF
THESE ORDERS, MEMOS, KIND OF IN THE LEGAL CROSSHAIRS.
SO, IT IS CERTAINLY, THERE ARE DEFINITELY A LOT OF QUESTIONS, I
GUESS, ABOUT THE LEGALITY OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE IS PROPOSING HERE.
>> Sreenivasan: IN ONE OF THE
Q & A's WITH REPORTERS HE SAID "WE HAVE GOT PLENTY OF MONEY
THAT WE HAVEN'T SPENT YET." HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT AND CAN IT FUND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET FUNDED?
>> Emma: YOU KNOW, STATES HAVE ONLY
SPENT ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE MONEY THAT THEY RECEIVED THROUGH
THE CARES ACT, WHICH WAS ABOUT $150 BILLION.
AND THAT'S BECOME A POPULAR REPUBLICAN TALKING POINT IN
THESE NEGOTIATIONS IN ARGUING THAT MORE STATE AND LOCAL AID
ISN'T NECESSARY. LOOK, ALL THESE STATES HAVE ALL
THIS MONEY THAT THEY HAVEN'T SPENT.
BUT THAT REALLY VARIES WILDLY ACROSS STATES.
AND A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT HASN'T BEEN SPENT IS ALREADY
SPOKEN FOR IN THAT IT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR A SPECIFIC PURPOSE.
SO, ASKING GOVERNORS TO PICK UP
ANY PART OF THE TAB FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS IS GOING
TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT ASK, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY SAY THAT
THEY ARE ALREADY GRAPPLING WITH INADEQUATE LEVELS OF FEDERAL AID.
>> Sreenivasan: FINALLY,
REGARDLESS OF WHAT NEGOTIATORS IN WASHINGTON AGREE TO OR NOT,
WHAT THAT CHECK LEVEL IS, WHEN DOES IT ACTUALLY GET TO PEOPLE
WHO RIGHT NOW MIGHT REALLY NEED THAT $600 TO PAY RENT OR PAY FOR FOOD?
>> Emma: IT'S REALLY UNCLEAR WHEN
THESE SUPPOSED PAYMENTS WOULD GO OUT.
IT'S UNCLEAR HOW MANY STATES WOULD BE ABLE TO PICK UP THE TAB
FOR THE REST OF THE $400 A WEEK PAYMENT.
THIS IS A, IT'S A VERY UNCERTAIN SITUATION AT THE MOMENT BOTH IN
TERMS OF LEGALITY AND WHEN SOME OF THESE THING WOULD ACTUALLY
TAKE EFFECT TO POTENTIALLY HELP PEOPLE.
>> Sreenivasan: CAITLIN EMMA FROM "POLITICO," THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR JOINING US. >> Emma: THANK YOU.