President Donald Trump went on Twitter on Friday morning and took aim at Democratic lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer , for remaining outside of Washington amid the coronavirus pandemic, Breitbart reported.
“Today people started losing their jobs because of Crazy Nancy Pelosi, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, and the Radical Left,” the president tweeted before calling on Pelosi, Schumer, and their fellow Democratic lawmakers to return to Washington to pass legislation and help American families.
“End your ENDLESS VACATION!” he concluded the tweet.
The attack comes after Trump slammed Democratic lawmakers for blocking additional funds to the Treasury Department’s Paycheck Protection Program , which has already run out of money.
“They are killing American small businesses. Stop playing politics Dems! Support Refilling PPP NOW — it is out of funds!” he wrote.
Nancy Pelosi is holding up paychecks for millions of Americans.
She’s playing politics and blaming President Trump rather than approving more money for small businesses to stay afloat. pic.twitter.com/yiVhyy5ORR
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) April 16, 2020
As reported by Fox News , the Paycheck Protection Program helps businesses with under 500 employees secure loans to cover eight weeks of benefits, payroll, rent, and other expenses. The legislation is just one part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into law last month.
Pelosi claims that Democratic lawmakers are willing to provide the fund with more money but said that they require “other money,” referring to an “interim emergency bill” that would provide aid to hospitals and state governments. She then accused the Republican Party of ignoring the people on the front lines who would benefit from such help.
Lawmakers are currently set to return to the Capitol on May 3. As reported by BizPac Review , Trump recently threatened to shut down the House and Senate for what he claimed was “dereliction of duty” on behalf of Democrats who are reportedly stalling his nominations.
“The Senate should either fulfill its duty and vote on my nominees or it should formally adjourn so I can make recess appointments,” he said during a coronavirus task force briefing on Wednesday.
According to Trump, the confirmation of his appointees is crucial amid the COVID-19 crisis.
“Perhaps it’s never been done before, nobody’s even sure if it has,” he said. “But we’re going to do it. We need these people here.”
The president claimed that such appointments are needed to deal with the pandemic and called for an end to “any more political games.”
As noted by BizPac Review , Article II, Section 3 of the United States Constitution provides presidents with the power to adjourn Congress on “extraordinary occasions.”
Regardless, Trump’s threat was met with criticism. Notably, constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley urged the president not to use such powers at this time.
