U.S. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez calls Trump's aid orders a hoax

Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, leader of the most progressive wing of her party, on Tuesday called the recent executive orders of U.S. President Donald Trump to extend aid to the unemployed affected by the coronavirus crisis a "hoax."

In a virtual meeting with the residents of New York's 14th District, which the young congresswoman of Puerto Rican origin represents, Ocasio-Cortez said three of these executive orders "do not solve any problem," but rather create them.

Last Saturday, Trump signed four executive orders to stimulate the economy after the collapse of negotiations with the Democrats.  One of them extends the recently expired program of additional unemployment benefits, which consisted of giving an extra $600 a week to the unemployed.

The order signed by Trump reduces that aid from 600 to 400 dollars, and requires states to bear 25% of its cost.  Ocasio-Cortez stressed that the states do not have sufficient funds to cover their share of the aid and accused the federal government of not sending aid to these regions.

On Monday, the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, warned that his state does not have the capacity to provide the funds required by the president's order to extend aid to the unemployed.

In another measure, Trump authorizes the Treasury Department to allow employers to delay paying Social Security payroll taxes on employees until the end of 2020 for those Americans who earn less than $100,000 a year.

With this rule, Trump "has created a problem because people will think they have more money in their pockets than they actually do," Ocasio-Cortez said, referring to the fact that taxpayers will have to pay that amount back to the Treasury Department.

"I can only say one thing: that I am frustrated and I am sorry for all of you," the legislator said in reference to the blocking of negotiations to approve a new aid package, before accusing members of the Republican Party of "completely abandoning the negotiating table."

However, Ocasio-Cortez, as she is known in the U.S., did welcome Trump's executive order to postpone until December 31st the late payments of credits requested by university students, a problem that affects thousands of young people in the country.