疫情致美国数百万人失业，特朗普忙着“解救”的却是他们……
People line up outside a Kentucky Career Center hoping to find assistance with their unemployment claim in Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. June 18, 2020. /Reuters
新冠疫情使美国经济陷入危机，劳动力市场比疫情爆发前减少1000万个工作岗位，数百万人失业。美国劳工部的数据显示，仅在上周，全美首次申请失业救济金的人数就增加到88.5万人，创下三个月以来的新高。
经历长达数月、曲折的谈判之后，美国国会21日深夜通过8920亿美元经济纾困方案，以缓解疫情对家庭和企业的影响，该法案仅需总统特朗普签字即生效。
不少美国人等着这笔新冠纾困金，帮他们“挨”过新年。但在最后关头，让人意想不到的一幕出现了。
当地时间12月23日，美国总统特朗普在推特上发视频威胁称，他将不会签署该法案，除非国会对其进行修改，提高刺激支票的金额。
此外，他还批评道：“他们计划送到我桌前的这份法案和预期的有太多不同，这真的是种耻辱。”
值得注意的是，美国政府等待的2021财年1.4万亿美元的联邦支出也是该法案的一部分。目前，美国政府的运作依靠临时拨款可以短暂维持到12月28日。如今，特朗普拒绝签字，则意味着美国政府可能会面临关门的窘境。
U.S. government operations are being funded on a temporary basis through Dec. 28, waiting for the $1.4 trillion in federal spending for fiscal 2021 that is also part of the bill.
Failure to either pass another stopgap bill or override a possible Trump veto of the legislation could result in a partial government shutdown. The threat by the outgoing Republican president, who has less than a month left in office, throws into turmoil a bipartisan effort in Congress to provide help for people whose lives have been upended by the pandemic.
"The bill they are now planning to send back to my desk is much different than anticipated," Trump said in a video posted on Twitter. "It really is a disgrace."
The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate both passed the legislation overwhelmingly on Monday night.
在视频中，特朗普表示，他希望国会将对每个人的补助金额提高至2000美元，对夫妻的补助提高至4000美元，而不是目前法案中“低得可笑的”每人600美元补助。
特朗普还抱怨在这项为美国政府拨款的法案中包含了太多对外援助，而对处境艰难的美国人来说援助却是远远不够的。
随后，美国众议院议长佩洛希同意特朗普的提议，发推文表示，共和党人一再拒绝透露总统想要的直接支票金额。她还表示，民主党人准备在本周将特朗普提出的2000美元支票提案交由众议院表决。但她没有回应特朗普的其他问题。
Trump said he wants Congress to increase the amount in the stimulus checks to $2,000 for individuals or $4,000 for couples, instead of the "ridiculously low" $600 for individuals that is in the bill.
Trump also complained about money provided for foreign countries, the Smithsonian Institution and fish breeding, among other spending that is in the part of the legislation to fund the U.S. government.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a tweet that Republicans would not say during negotiations what amount Trump wanted the stimulus checks to be. She said Democrats are ready to bring his proposal for $2,000 checks to the House floor for a vote this week. She did not address Trump's other concerns.
同时，美国当选总统拜登表示，他上任之后将会再提出新一轮新冠疫情救助计划并向国会提出基本要求。与特朗普截然不同的是，拜登对两党之间的最终妥协表示称赞。他认为，两党合作是唯一能顺利度过新冠危机的方法。
尽管拒绝了签署救助法案，特朗普最近却真的在努力“救人”。
当地时间12月23日，特朗普在前往棕榈海滩私人俱乐部过圣诞节前，发布了新一轮的总统赦免和减刑：26个赦免名单和3个减刑名单。赦免名单中包括了特朗普的前竞选团队经理保罗·马纳福特、前竞选顾问罗杰·斯通，以及女婿库什纳的父亲查尔斯·库什纳等人。
而就在一天前，特朗普签署了另一份政令，赦免15人，并为另5人减刑或免刑。
George Papadopoulos, a former member of the foreign policy panel to Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, poses for a photo before a TV interview in New York, U.S., March 26, 2019. /Reuters
被赦免的人中有特朗普4年前参加竞选时最早的支持者，共和党前众议员邓肯·亨和克里斯·柯林斯；特朗普2016年竞选团队外交顾问乔治·帕帕佐普洛斯和律师亚历克斯·范·德·兹万。
对此，众议院情报委员会主席、民主党人希夫发表声明，指责特朗普滥用总统赦免权，庇护政治盟友。
伊拉克外交部也于当地时间12月23日发表声明称，特朗普于22日特赦“尼苏尔广场”事件中枪杀伊拉克平民的罪犯，是对受害者尊严及其亲属权利的无视，伊拉克外交部对此表示遗憾。
联合国人权事务高级专员办事处也对此事表示了关切，人权高专办发言人乌尔塔多表示，特朗普此举将起到让其他人更有胆量在未来犯下类似罪行的作用。
As time ticks away on his remaining weeks in office, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening announced 26 new pardons, including for longtime ally Roger Stone, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort and White House senior adviser Jared Kushner's father, Charles.
Alex van der Zwaan leaves the U.S. District Court after his sentencing in Washington, April 3, 2018. /Reuters
Trump had used his expansive pardon powers only the day before, granting full pardons to 15 people, including George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide who pleaded guilty as part of the investigation into the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, and commuting all or part of the sentences for five others.
Last month, Trump pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation. The Flynn pardon drew condemnation from Democrats and other critics.
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