President Trump signed a series of executive orders on Saturday in response to the coronavirus pandemic posing a detriment to many American’s financial wellbeing. These orders included providing $400 per week in unemployment benefits. This is less than the unemployment benefit implemented by Congress in the spring, which provided $600 per week.
The series of executive orders comes after two weeks of Congressional negotiations reaching a stalemate. In these debates, Democrats advocated for Americans to continue receiving $600 per week, while Republicans advocated for the benefit to drop to $200 per week. Trump’s decision of $400 per week serves as a compromise. It is debated however, whether the president holds legal authority to make such a decision.