The sausage making is being put on hold. Failing to get a deal on a "stimulus" package, the president's team is proposing that Trump unilateral extend eviction from government-owned housing, unemployment benefits and give a payroll tax cut.
One out of three might work, which is the first one. If Obama can unilaterally keep the "dreamers" from being deported, Trump can keep folks behind on their rent from being evicted. Who would have standing to challenge it?
The other two seem bogus constitutionally. A president can't spend money that isn't appropriated, nuking extending bonus unemployment on his own. Trump has managed to divert some money from Defense department items to help fund his border wall, but he'd be hard pressed to divert Labor department money for the purpose.
The president has the power to suspend tax payments in an emergency, but the tax-payers still own the money once the emergency ends. Thus, as this piece points out, employers would likely stash the tax money in question in savings rather than pay it out to employees, since they still own Uncle Sam the money.
The eviction moratoriums might stick, but there would likely be an injunction filed first thing Monday morning on the other two.
Sorry. Rule by decree has its limitations, as much as The Donald would like it otherwise.
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