American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after President Trump attempted to bypass Congress and sign executive actions he claims are intended to help provide economic relief:

“Almost at the exact hour the United States surpassed 5 million COVID-19 cases, and 24 hours after jobs numbers revealed the economy is slowing, President Trump once again has failed the Americans who need help the most. The guy who once claimed he was a brilliant deal-maker has scuttled negotiations with Democrats on a new stimulus, in favor of cynical and likely unconstitutional executive orders that provide empty rather than actual relief to the unemployed, as well as those facing eviction, foreclosure and student loan defaults.

“These executive orders are make-or-break for the millions of Americans facing job loss, food insecurity, healthcare emergencies and other crises as a result of the top-to-bottom mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing economic depression.

“Sadly, the president doesn’t care. He also thought it was more important to make another tax cut that will jeopardize Social Security instead of helping local and state governments fund essential services and providing resources for schools to reopen safely and equitably.

“While it’s not surprising that Trump would opt for political theater to mask another benchmark that demonstrates his mishandling of this pandemic, today’s actions ensure that people will confuse to suffer. If he had an iota of empathy or compassion, he’d get back to bargaining with Democrats, instead of showboating and playing golf.”

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