President Trump restricts ‘all travel’ from US to Europe starting Friday

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President Trump restricts ‘all travel’ from EU to US starting Friday

President Trump addressed the nation Wednesday at 9 p.m. EDT about his administration’s response to the coronavirus.

Here’s what Trump proposed in his speech
This is what President Donald Trump said he would either execute himself or ask Congress to tackle in response to the coronavirus.

Travel restrictions: Trump said as of Friday at midnight, all travel from Europe to the United States – with the exception of the U.K. – will be suspended for the next 30 days. The president also said there will be travel restrictions for Americans coming from Europe “who have undergone appropriate screenings.”
Paid sick leave: Trump said he plans to take emergency action soon to provide financial relief to workers who are quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus. He added he would be asking Congress to take legislative action to extend the relief
Small business loans: Trump said he is instructing the Small Business Administration to provide capital and loans to businesses affected by coronavirus, effective immediately. He added he’s asking Congress to increase funding for this program by an additional $50 billion to help those businesses hardest hit by economic uncertainty over the virus.
Defer tax payments: Trump said he would instruct the Treasury Department to “defer tax payments” without interest or penalties for “certain individuals and businesses negatively impacted.” He did not define which businesses or individuals. He said the moves would add $200 billion in liquidity to the economy. Tax day is April 15.
Payroll taxes: He called on Congress to provide Americans with “immediate payroll tax relief,” and implored lawmakers to “consider this very strongly” despite bipartisan pushback that idea received Wednesday.
— Courtney Subramanian and John Fritze

DHS to require U.S. passengers to undergo ‘enhanced screening’
President Donald Trump’s administration’s said it was readying “enhanced screening” procedures for U.S. passengers returning from parts of Europe hard hit by the coronavirus.

The White House said the restrictions would closely match those imposed on people returning from China earlier this year.

In explaining the new restrictions, Trump said that the U.S. would be suspending travel from parts of Europe for 30 days. He said there would be exemptions for Americans would had “undergone appropriate screenings. ”

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement shortly after Trump’s address, offering further clarity on the European travel restrictions the president discussed.

Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said that the restrictions would “deny entry to foreign nationals who have been in affected areas will keep Americans safe and save American lives.”

Wolf said that DHS would issue a notice in the next 48 hours “requiring U.S. passengers that have been” traveling in parts of Europe to “travel through select airports where the U.S. Government has implemented enhanced screening procedures.”

— John Fritze and David Jackson

The 26 European countries hit with the travel ban
More than two dozen European countries are affected by the travel restrictions announced by President Donald Trump, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The countries, known as the Schengen Area, include: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

The president’s proclamation suspends the entry of most foreign nationals who have been in these European countries at any point during the 14 days prior to their scheduled arrival to the United States.

The order does not apply to legal permanent residents, (generally) immediate family members of U.S. citizens, and other individuals who are identified in the proclamation, according to the agency.

– Ledge King

Minutes after speech, Donald Trump cancels Las Vegas trip
After President Donald Trump urged Americans to forgo unnecessary travel, the White House announced Wednesday it was canceling an end-of-the-week trip to the West.

“Out of an abundance of caution from the Coronavirus outbreak, the President has decided to cancel his upcoming events in Colorado and Nevada,” White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said.

Trump had planned to address a Jewish Republican organization meeting in Las Vegas and to host a conservation roundtable in Denver.

— David Jackson

Trump asks for payroll tax relief despite GOP hesitance
During his Wednesday night speech, Trump asked that Congress consider payroll tax cuts – a request that lawmakers in both parties have voiced concern about.

“I am calling on Congress to provide Americans with immediate payroll tax relief,” Trump said. “Hopefully, they will consider this very strongly. We are at a critical time in the fight against the virus.”

The idea has been met with skepticism in recent days from even Republicans, who call the idea both premature and something that would not help in this situation.

“I would prefer they exercise other options before going down that path,” Sen. John Thune, the No. 2 Republican in the Senate has said. Democrats have said the idea is something that would have no chance in passing the Democratic-held House.

“It’s a non-starter,” Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House said earlier Wednesday of the payroll tax cut idea.

— Christal Hayes

Trump’s speech faces a partisan response on the Hill
Democrats and an independent slammed Trump’s speech after he concluded, while Republicans offered praise.

Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., whose state confirmed its first two cases yesterday, tweeted, “Mr. President, you can’t travel ban your way out of this.” Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich. who left the Republican Party last year, called it “disturbing in so many ways” on Twitter.

Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., praised Trump for taking “bold and decisive action to prevent the spread of #coronavirus.” Close Trump ally Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, hailed “proactive and decisive” action by Trump to combat the virus.

– Nicholas Wu

Trump stops short of declaring a national emergency
President Donald Trump ran through several ideas he said could help slow the spread of the virus and right an economy flailing amid the coronavirus outbreak.

One idea he did not raise: Declaring a national emergency.

In the hours heading into the address, there was widespread speculation that Trump could rely on the Stafford Act to declare an emergency. Democrats demanded that action earlier Wednesday, saying it would free up more than $40 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency funds for the nation’s response.

Throughout the address, Trump used the word “emergency” and said his administration would take urgent action, including on taxes, but he stopped short of the promising to execute the broader emergency declaration.

— John Fritze

Extending the tax filing deadline
Some taxpayers won’t have to file their taxes by April 15 as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to lessen the economic effects of the coronavirus, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday.

He also called on Congress to provide Americans with “immediate payroll tax relief.”

“Hopefully, they will consider this very strongly,” he said.

Trump didn’t specify who would get a filing extension and for how long.

But Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told the House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday the extension is intended to help “small and medium-sized businesses and hard-working individuals” heavily impacted by the widespread virus.

Mnuchin said an extension could put billions of dollars into the economy by giving businesses and individuals more available cash.

“This action will provide more than $200 billion of additional liquidity to the economy,” Trump said.

But the move may mean the government will have to increase borrowing in the short-term to pay its bills before all returns are filed.

The extension does not require Congressional approval, according to the administration.

House Democrats have already told the IRS they’re concerned that people may need more time to file because IRS officials and tax preparers may not be as available to assist.

Individuals are typically required to pay taxes by April 15 or they face penalties and interest charges. The IRS also grants taxpayers the option to file for a six-month extension.

– Maureen Groppe

Trump wraps up
Trump wrapped up his remarks at 9:11 p.m. EDT, about 10 minutes after he began.

“The virus will not have a chance against us,” he said.

The president’s remarks largely focused on actions he had taken so far and was less specific on what he plans to do moving forward.

Trump said he would take “emergency” action to extend the April 15 tax deadline, though he did not say specifically how long that extension would last. He reiterated his desire for a payroll tax holiday, despite the frosty reception that idea received on Capitol Hill from members of both parties Wednesday.

— John Fritze

Trump vows emergency action on paid family sick leave
Trump encouraged those who are not feeling well to stay home to “ensure that working Americans impacted by the virus can stay home without fear of financial hardship.”

He said he would be soon taking emergency action to provide financial relief for workers who are quarantined or caring for others due to coronavirus. He added he would be asking Congress to take legislative action to extend the relief. The president did not indicate whether it would have an expiration, include a mandate or require government funding.

Advocates for paid leave say it’s critical to help contain the spread of the virus as well as providing a safety net for low-income workers who are forced to stay home sick or self-quarantine.

Paid family sick leave is a key priority among Democrats and is expected to top their list amid negotiations over an economic stimulus package. Senate Democrats proposed emergency unemployment insurance to replace lost wages from quarantine or the need to stay home with children whose schools close. They also proposed requiring employers to allow workers to accumulate seven days of paid sick leave, allowing them to stay home to prevent the spread of disease, and also 14 days of paid sick leave at the beginning of any public health emergency.

Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, the top Democrat on the labor committee, proposed that the Senate immediately consider legislation for paid sick leave. But she was blocked by a Republican objection.

Murray said employees such as restaurant workers, truck drivers and service industry workers shouldn’t face the choice of working while sick or losing their pay.

“This is not a choice we should be asking anyone to make in the United States of American in the 21st Century, but 32 million people in our country today – or about one out of every four private-sector workers – are faced with this impossible choice every time they get sick,” Murray said.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who chairs the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, objected to fast-tracking the legislation. He acknowledged workers are struggling but said businesses are also struggling and that an expensive federal mandate wouldn’t help them.

“The idea of paid sick leave is a good idea,” Alexander said. “But if Washington, D.C., thinks it’s a good idea, Washington, D.C., should pay for it.”

— Courtney Subramanian, Christal Hayes, Nicholas Wu and Bart Jansen

President Trump restricts ‘all travel’ from EU to US starting Friday
Trump said the administration would restrict “all travel” to the U.S. from Europe, which is reeling from the epidemic, for the next 30 days. The United Kingdom will be exempt from the new limits, which Trump said will go into effect on Friday at midnight.

“These restrictions will be adjusted subject to conditions on the ground,” the president said of the European Union travel curbs.

Italy has been hit the hardest, with more than 12,000 confirmed infections and more than 800 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. France, Spain and Germany each have about 2,000 confirmed cases.

Trump said there would also be travel restrictions from Europe for Americans “who have undergone appropriate screenings.”

The administration has already restricted travel from China and Iran. Trump has repeatedly trumpeted his early move to limit travel from China, saying the decision saved lives. Experts say it likely slowed the arrival of the virus in the United States.

– Deirdre Shesgreen

Trump tries to project sense of calm
President Donald Trump started off his remarks by trying to give a sense of historical perspective, and a sense of calm.

“From the beginning of time, nations and people have face unforeseen challenges,” Trump said. “It only matters how you respond and we are responding with great speed and professionalism.”

“We are moving very quickly,” Trump added.

The president’s remarks on his response come as he himself has been under fire for repeatedly appearing to contradict public health officials in his own administration.

“Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow,” he said.

— John Fritze

Trump’s address on coronavirus is underway
President Donald Trump has started his address to the nation from the Oval Office on the coronavirus outbreak at 9:01 p.m. EDT, just about on schedule.

“Tonight I want to speak with you about our nation’s unprecedented response to the coronavirus outbreak,” Trump said, noting the pandemic designation from the World Health Organization earlier in the day.

It’s a critical speech for Trump’s presidency by any measure. Look for him to address the public health aspects of the pandemic, his administration’s response and the potential economic impact – all while he attempts to calm a jittery nation and leave a door open to working with Democrats on an economic stimulus.

— John Fritze

Pence calls Pelosi before Trump speech
Vice President Mike Pence and another member of the administration’s coronavirus task force called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about an hour before President Donald Trump was scheduled to speak to the nation.

Pence and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spoke with Pelosi briefly about the emergency legislation the House has proposed to combat the coronavirus, Pelosi’s spokesman tweeted.

Ahead of the President’s address this evening, Speaker Pelosi took a call from Vice President Pence and Dr. Fauci at approximately 7:43 p.m. They spoke briefly about the forthcoming emergency House legislation and Administration efforts to combat #coronavirus.

— Drew Hammill (@Drew_Hammill) March 12, 2020

Trump’s address will come hours after the World Health Organization formally declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic as the global death toll rose above 4,300.

As Congress and the Trump administration negotiate an economic package to cope with the coronavirus, disagreements are emerging over whether to focus on tax relief or provide direct aid to people who lose income from illness or an economic downturn.

Congressional Democrats proposed free testing for the virus and enhanced paid sick leave, unemployment insurance and food assistance.

– Maureen Groppe

Trump’s second formal address from the Oval Office
When President Donald Trump makes his prime-time address tonight amid a widening coronavirus that is now a pandemic, it will mark only his second formal Oval Office speech to the nation.

Trump’s address will come hours after the World Health Organization formally declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic as the global death toll rose above 4,300. Confirmed cases in the U.S. crept past 1,000, according to Johns Hopkins.

Amid a budget fight last year that led to a five-week partial government shutdown, Trump used a January address to pressure Democrats to agree to his request for $5.7 billion for his long-promised border wall along the southern border as a condition to end the stand-off.

During that speech, he stopped short of declaring a national emergency but declared one a month later to redirect funds from other federal agencies to the Department of Homeland Security to go toward building about 80 miles of barriers in California, Arizona and New Mexico. The decision led to a legal battle that went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in July that he could use the military funding to build a portion of his wall.

More:Trump demands border wall in speech; Democrats accuse him of sowing fear

Earlier this year Trump addressed the nation from the Grand Foyer of the White House hours after Iran rained more than a dozen rockets down on U.S. airbases in Iraq housing U.S. troops. He sought to calm fears of a potential war with Iran after escalations over the U.S. killing of Qasem Soleimani, one of Tehran’s most powerful leaders.

Trump is expected to again try to quell fears as the rapid spread of coronavirus sparks panic across the country and rattles the stock markets.

– Courtney Subramanian

Trump’s address timing explained
President Donald Trump chose a critical day to deliver his rare address to the nation, a potential inflection point both for the coronavirus and the nation’s response to it.

And there’s an enormous amount at stake for the president.

Trump’s remarks come hours after the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic. It’s a loosely defined word, but to be labeled a pandemic a virus must have “sustained transmission throughout the world,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told USA TODAY last month.
The president’s speech comes as the global death toll rose above 4,600 on Wednesday and confirmed cases in the U.S. crept past 1,200, according to Johns Hopkins.

His remarks also arrive at an exceptional moment in U.S. politics, as Trump seeks to get a grip on the virus and its economic ramifications in an election year. Top White House aides are negotiating with House Democrats over an economic stimulus that Trump has described as “dramatic.” Details of that proposal, so far, have been very much influx.

The virus – and Trump’s sometimes wobbly response to it – is also increasingly factoring into the 2020 presidential race. Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders have cancelled large rallies because of the virus, and are raising it as an issue to question Trump’s leadership. A Trump campaign aide, meanwhile, claimed Wednesday that Biden was canceling events as “an excuse to get off the campaign trail.”

Trump announces rare public address to the nation for coronavirus
President Donald Trump will make a prime-time address from the Oval Office on Wednesday about coronavirus amid widening concerns over an outbreak that is now a pandemic.

Trump’s address will come hours after the World Health Organization formally declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic as the global death toll rose above 4,300. Confirmed cases in the U.S. crept past 1,000, according to Johns Hopkins.

“I’ll be making a statement later tonight,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

Trump initially said that his remarks would “probably” take place 8 p.m. EDT. He later tweeted that he would be “addressing the Nation this evening” at 9 p.m. EDT.

Trump declined to say whether he would announce additional travel restrictions or a national emergency. He said there would be economic and health announcements during his statement.

The president last delivered an Oval Office address to the nation on Jan. 8, 2019 amid the government shutdown. He used the address to make his case for additional federal funding for border security, including his long-proposed wall.

I will be addressing the Nation this evening at 9:00 P.M. (Eastern) from the Oval Office.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 11, 2020

The Trump administration is scrambling to respond to the public health and economic fallout from the virus. Trump and Democrats are negotiating over what the president described as a “dramatic” stimulus. As part of that, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the administration is considering delaying the annual April 15 tax day.

– John Fritze, David Jackson and Courtney Subramanian