A letter from President Donald Trump

By Alex P. Vidal

 

“Every time I hear a politician mention the word ‘stimulus,’ my mind flashes back to high school biology class, when I touched battery wires to a dead frog to make it twitch.”—Robert Kiyosaki

 

I RECEIVED a letter signed by U.S. President Donald J. Trump dated May 1, 2020.

Printed in a letterhead of “The White House Washington”, the letter was sent to my address in Elmhurst, Queens and I received it on May 15, 2020.

President Trump started his letter with my complete name and mailing address and addressed me as “My Fellow American.”

The President’s letter read: Our great country is experiencing an unprecedented public health and economic challenge as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Our top priority is your health and safety. As we wage total war on this invisible enemy, we are also working around the clock to protect hardworking Americans like you from the consequences of the economic shutdown.

We are fully committed to ensuring that you and your family have the support you need to get through this time.

On March 27, 2020, Congress passed with overwhelming bipartisan support the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which I profoundly signed into law.

I want to thank the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate for working so quickly with my Administration to fast-track this $2.2 trillion in much-needed economic relief to the American people.

This includes fast and direct economic assistance to you.

I am pleased to notify you that as provided by the CARES Act, you are receiving an Economic Impact Payment of $1,200.00 by check/debit card.

We hope this payment provides meaningful support to you during this period.

Every citizen should take tremendous pride in the selflessness, courage and compassion of our people. America’s drive, determination, innovation and sheer willpower have conquered every previous challenge—and they will conquer this one too.

Just as we have before, America will triumph yet again—and rise to new heights of greatness.

We will do it together, as one nation, stronger than ever before. Signed President Donald J. Trump.

 

-o0o-

 

I am not yet an American citizen, thus I presume President Trump used the same format when he sent the same letter to 330 million Americans and other recipients of the CARES Act during the same period.

Nevertheless, I thank Mr. Trump and the Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for my inclusion in the CARES Act as a taxpayer.

As this developed, a second wave of coronavirus relief checks is reportedly on the table, penciled to bring more IRS stimulus money to the Americans’ pockets—if it passes.

When the first wave of coronavirus stimulus checks was announced, the assumption was that it was a one-time deal to help prop up the economy, reported Personal Finance’s Clifford Colby.

“That may no longer be the case. A second round of stimulus payments to put more money in your pocket is now under consideration in Congress, even as the IRS continues to send the last batch of economic relief checks,” he wrote. “Whether or not this second stimulus payment gets signed into law is another question.

This new relief act–proposed last week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and passed by the House of Representatives–is reportedly fueled by rising concerns about the economy and people’s ability to pay for basic needs.

Colby said in Senate testimony earlier this week, Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, called for additional economic relief.

He explained that “the US economy has is already staggering from coronavirus closures that have put millions of Americans out of work and ground businesses to a halt. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a 14.7% unemployment rate in April. On Thursday, the federal agency reported that 38.6 million Americans sought unemployment benefits (PDF) in the past nine weeks. The International Monetary Fund warns of a deep global recession that could become the worst since the Great Depression.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)