Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) on Sunday sternly warned President Trump that his legacy is on the line after the sitting president turned on a COVID relief bill that passed Congress in the waning weeks of his presidency.
During an appearance on “Fox News Sunday,” Toomey expressed his dismay over Trump’s refusal to sign the COVID relief bill. The lack of Trump’s signature on the bill that had been considered a done deal caused unemployment benefits for millions of Americans to lapse overnight as the country reels from the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed more than 330,000 Americans thus far.
“You don’t get everything you want, even if you’re president of the United States,” Toomey said. “I think the COVID relief measures are really, really important.”
Toomey pointed to how governors have had to close down businesses again amid surging COVID-19 cases nationwide.
After Toomey said that it’s a “hopeful sign” that Trump has not yet vetoed the COVID relief bill passed by Congress, the Pennsylvania senator issued his stern warning to Trump regarding his legacy if he lets COVID relief expire.
“(Trump will) be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire,” Toomey said.
Toomey argued that although he understands that Trump “would like to send bigger checks to everybody,” the President should sign the bill first “and then make the case.”
“Congress can pass another bill,” Toomey said. “I don’t agree with $2,000 to people who have had no lost income whatsoever, which is the vast majority of Americans, but the President’s free to make that case.”
Toomey added that Democrats would agree with him and “see where it ends up.”
“But we’ve got a bill right now that his administration helped negotiate,” Toomey said. “I think we ought to get that done.”
Amid a deadlock in a months-long fight over pandemic relief earlier this month, Toomey spearheaded a controversial provision backed by Republicans that would curb emergency Federal Reserve powers.
Earlier this month, Toomey called out Trump for his “completely unacceptable” attempt at persuading state lawmakers to overturn Pennsylvania’s election results that handed President-elect Joe Biden a win in the battleground state.
Watch Toomey’s remarks below:
