TRUMP ASKS CONGRESS TO AMEND COVID STIMULUS BILL

President Donald Trump on Tuesday (Wednesday, December 23, 2020 in Manila) said he is asking for changes to the coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress, leaving the future of the $900 billion stimulus in doubt, Nikki Carvajal, Kevin Liptak, Manu Raju, Jeremy Diamond and Paul LeBlanc reported for CNN.

Trump's position could threaten to torpedo the carefully drafted bill, which his own administration helped negotiate -- a move that could lead to a government shutdown and send the economy into a tailspin if he carried through with a veto.

"I'm asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 per couple," Trump said in a video released on Twitter. "I'm also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items in this legislation or to send me a suitable bill."

The extraordinary message came after he largely left negotiations over the measure to lawmakers and his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Trump did not explicitly threaten to veto the bill, but said he was dissatisfied with its final state.

"A few months ago, Congress started negotiations on a new package to get urgently needed help to the American people. It's taken forever," he said in the video. “However, the bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated. It really is a disgrace."

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