Raimondo Slams Trump's Executive Orders, Praises VP Pick Harris

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo slammed what she called President Donald Trump's "smoke-and-mirrors" executive order issued this weekend that requires states to kick in 25 percent of a proposed $400 unemployment supplement.

Raimondo called Trump's executive order "wrong" and "incompetent" during her Wednesday news conference, adding that it is up to Congress to pass a legitimate stimulus bill that will help avoid evictions and municipal layoffs amid the coronavirus health crisis.

"We need the federal government to do its job, Congress to pass a law, the president to sign it, and renew unemployment insurance," said Raimondo of the executive order that requires states to pay $100 of the proposed $400 unemployment supplement, down from $600 in the last stimulus bill. "He summarily suggested ... he'll kick in $300 without telling us where the money will come from, how we should administer it, what the parameters will be — has no authority from Congress to do it — if the state kicks in $100.

"I haven't found a governor in America who has said they are going to be able to administer this program."

Raimondo said that while she supports the intention of the order, states need Congress to pass a stimulus and send the states the money to pay for it.

"Rhode Island was the first state in the country to get our pandemic assistance checks out," she noted. "I'll be the first governor in America to get those (second stimulus) checks out. But the president has to give us a serious solution. He can't just write on a piece of paper: 'I'll give you 300 bucks if you kick in 100. Good luck.'"

Trump bypassed Congress on issuing the executive orders on Saturday, setting up a potential court battle against those who claim the president does not have the authority to implement some of the orders under the Constitution.

"I don't want to speculate as to his motives," she said. "It's wrong. It's immoral. It's incompetent. It's not solving our problems. Give us a serious solution and I will be the first one to implement it."

Another order directs the U.S. Treasury to allow employers to defer payment of employee payroll taxes through the end of 2020 for Americans earning less than $100,000 annually. Two additional orders would ban evictions in federal housing and pause student loan payments through the end of the year.

Raimondo said she will also be "reassessing my executive abilities" to move on preventing evictions if the federal government does not address the looming problem with legitimate legislation within the next week.

"Even the Trump Administration wrote a memo suggesting we do something (on evictions)," she said of Trump's executive order. "We may have an emergency situation if the $600 (unemployment supplement) goes away and I have a lot of people becoming homeless."

Raimondo was much more upbeat when asked about presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden's selection of California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate on Tuesday. Once thought to be on a long list of candidates for vice president, Raimondo avoided a question about whether she was notified she wasn't selected as a finalist, but praised the choice.

"I am thrilled," Raimondo said. "I know Senator Harris. I like her. I think she will be a great running mate. So I am excited for her. I am excited for the country. I don't really want to talk politics here. But, obviously, I am a supporter of (Vice) President Biden's and I will do whatever I can to help him win."

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