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President Trump Proposes Sending "Business Interruption Payments" to Americans Affected by the Coronavirus

President Trump wants to send checks to Americans in the next two weeks. He didn’t say how much money the federal government would be sending. On Monday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, suggested sending $1,000 to every American adult.
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President Trump wants to send checks to Americans in the next two weeks.

He didn’t say how much money the federal government would be sending. On Monday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, suggested sending $1,000 to every American adult.

At a Tuesday morning press conference, Trump argued it would be one of several ways to address the economic impact of the Coronavirus outbreak. It’s part of an $850 billion stimulus package Trump is sending to Congress. The package includes loan guarantees to critical industries (airlines and hotels) and payments to small businesses.

The next day, he added that his administration is suspending all evictions and foreclosures until the end of April.

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This new move comes shortly after Trump recommended people avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more and in-person dining at bars, restaurants, and food courts. Dallas has already banned in-person dining as new COVID-19 cases began to appear. Plano and other cities in Collin County have declared a state of disaster for public health. Collin County Judge Chris Hill joined them and declared:

  • All non-essential court operations in Collin County have been postponed until April 1. Essential court proceedings will continue as scheduled and are defined by the respective courts’ orders, which may be found on the county website.
  • Other county offices are open and operating during normal business hours.
  • The Collin County Commissioners Court will not be canceling meetings at this time.
  • Inmate visitation and inmate programs at the Collin County Detention Facility have been canceled until further notice. Attorney visits are still permitted, but the procedures for the visits have changed.

Tuesday morning, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin claimed there are several ways this money could be distributed, including a payroll tax cut. But he said the Trump Administration is leaning toward direct payment, also known as “business interruption payments.”

“I think it’s clear we don’t need to send people who make a million dollars a year checks, but that’s one of the ideas we like,” Mnuchin told reporters.

The story has been updated to include information about suspending evictions and foreclosures.