Senate coronavirus bill bars Trump companies from receiving federal aid
Washington — Included in the $2 trillion stimulus package aimed at delivering relief to families, small businesses and industries reeling from the coronavirus pandemic is a provision that blocks businesses controlled by President Trump and his family from receiving federal relief.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's office said Wednesday morning that the New York Democrat secured the provision in the bipartisan deal, prohibiting companies like the Trump Organization from receiving loans or investments from Treasury Department programs.
Businesses controlled by Vice President Mike Pence, members of Congress and Cabinet chiefs are also barred from benefiting from federal funds, according to Schumer's office. The prohibition extends to children, spouses and in-laws of the government officials.
Senate leaders announced just after 1 a.m. Wednesday that they had reached a deal with the White House on the stimulus package, which is set to be the largest in U.S. history. The agreement follows days of intense negotiations, which were nearly derailed earlier this week after Senate Democrats twice blocked the measure from advancing.
Included in the historic package is direct payments to most Americans, $367 billion in assistance for small businesses and a $500 billion fund for ailing large industries. Mr. Trump's portfolio of properties in the hospitality business prompted questions about whether he would stand to benefit from federal relief.
Properties owned by Mr. Trump have not been immune to the effects of the coronavirus. According to The New York Times, the Trump Organization has cut staff from its hotels in New York and Washington, stopped new reservations at a hotel in Las Vegas and closed golf courses in California and Florida.
In Washington, D.C., which has ordered nonessential businesses to close and placed restrictions on restaurants and bars, the Trump International Hotel, a gathering place for allies of the president and administration officials, has closed its restaurant, bar and spa. Mar-a-Lago, the president's South Florida resort where he often hosts other world leaders, has also closed.
Mr. Trump was pressed Sunday to commit that no taxpayer dollars would go toward his properties.
"Let's just see what happens, because we have to save some of these great companies," he said. "They can be great companies, literally, in a matter of weeks. We have to save them."
The president has come under scrutiny for maintaining his stake in the Trump Organization. After he was elected president in 2016, the president opted not to divest his ownership and handed off control to his two sons.