Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday shot down a bid by Senate Democrats to vote on a standalone bill from the House that would increase stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., moved to pass the bill by unanimous consent, but McConnell objected to the measure.
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Sen. Schumer said on the Senate floor: “I don’t want to hear that we can’t afford it. I don’t want to hear that it would add too much to the deficit. Senate Republicans added nearly $2 trillion to the deficit to give corporations a massive tax cut.”
“Throughout this pandemic, working Americans have been taking it on the chin,” he added. “Right now, they’re facing their hardest and their darkest days. Tens of millions have lost their jobs. Tens of millions are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.”
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McConnell did not explain why he objected to Schumer’s request. But, he noted that Trump has called for more scrutiny of the 2020 election and stripping liability protections from major tech companies, in addition to an increase payment to struggling Americans.
“Those are the three important subjects the president has linked together. This week, the Senate will begin a process to bring these three priorities into focus,” McConnell said.
44 Republicans joined House Democrats to pass the bill that would provide $2,000 direct payments to Americans instead of $600 in the coronavirus relief bill.
A number of Senate Republicans including Sens. Loeffler and Perdue in the closely contested January 5 runoff in Georgia voiced their support for the bill.
“A vast majority of the public, Republican and Democrat, strongly support $2,000 checks. An overwhelming bipartisan majority in the House supports $2,000 checks. Senate Democrats strongly support $2,000 checks. Even President Trump supports $2,000 checks,” Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Now some of my Republican colleagues have said they support the checks, but there is a major difference in saying you support $2,000 checks and fighting to put them into law. The House bill is the only way, the only way, to deliver these stimulus checks before the end of session.”
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Sen. Bernie Sanders said he will try once again to get McConnell to take up the House bill and pass $2,000 checks. He plans to delay the Wednesday vote to override Trump’s veto of the defense spending bill. This will keep the Senate in session throughout the holiday and keep Perdue and Loeffler off the campaign trail.
