Senate GOP Has Stimulus Dilemma as Democrats Side With Trump

Republicans will likely block Democrats’ attempts to have the Senate follow the House in boosting stimulus payments for most Americans to $2,000, even though President Donald Trump backs the bigger checks.

Forty-four House Republicans joined 231 Democrats on Monday to pass a bill increasing the payments from the $600 in the pandemic relief legislation Trump signed on Sunday. His surprise demand last week for bigger payments put Republicans in a bind after they resisted anything higher than $600 during the drawn-out negotiations on the original bill. Democrats were quick to use that as a pressure point.

“The House and the President are in agreement: we must deliver $2,000 checks to American families struggling this Holiday Season,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a tweet, calling on the Senate to pass the higher payments.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hasn’t said whether the Senate would take up the House bill, attempt to vote on a different one that would also increase direct payments or simply ignore the issue. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he’ll seek unanimous consent to pass the House bill on Tuesday. But the move is expected to draw an objection from a Republican, effectively shutting down the effort.

Much depends on whether the president moves on from the issue or uses it to attack Senate Republicans.

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He has expressed anger at McConnell and other GOP leaders for failing to back his quixotic attempt to overturn the election results. Now that the $2,000 checks issue is in the Senate, Trump may use social media to draw continued attention to it and try to pressure Republicans to take action on the bill.

Trump started down that path early Tuesday morning. “Give the people $2000, not $600,” he tweeted. “They have suffered enough!”

McConnell is expected to speak about the issue when he opens the Senate for debate Tuesday afternoon. The Senate would likely need unanimous consent to be able to vote on both a defense bill veto override and the $2,000 checks legislation before this session of Congress expires on Sunday. Getting that agreement is unlikely.

That may leave it to the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, who has said he’ll seek an additional stimulus shortly after being inaugurated on Jan. 20. Yet whether he’ll have latitude to get additional relief through Congress will depend on the outcome of two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5 that will decide control of the Senate. If Republicans hold on to just one of those seats, McConnell would remain majority leader and able to control the Senate agenda.

[jasonclark]

hell Mitch get the money from your wife. Y'all stole enough of it from the american people. We want it back or resign

[chodkowski]

If this was for corporate bailouts McConnell would be onboard.

[locksmithdb]

These senators NEED to pass this bill. They want to help everyone except AMERICANS!

[margaretjosiah]

Mitch Mc Connell is a cold hearted human being his appearance and his body language says it all

[GN]

How about we cut their pay and give it to us we paid them it's only fair we get our money back

[baileealligood]

Politicians would rather give the money to Wall Street than main street. It tells you who is really running the country. It isn't the people's will.

[josephlewis]

If you have a field full of politicians up to their neck in sand what do you have? Answer: Not enough sand.

[billyjoesmo]

Wow house Republican Senate has a problem they pass the bill or watch two Democrats win in Georgia so that the next fashion will pass the bill
I have my popcorn 😆

[carmenmunoz]

Mitch needs to retire, get him the hell out of there.

[starbrand]

It's so funny how millionaires and billionaires are responsible for deciding if struggling Americans, suffering because of this virus, are worthy of a lifeline.

[Occam]

It doesn’t benefit the rich or corporations so there’s no way Mitch is passing it.

[brandonshebester]

We need to vote them ALL out. They have lost touch with us. They do not represent our interests, only their own. And their interests involve a lot of shady money

[ivandagr]

Mitch made a deal with the devil in the 60s. He won’t let it pass

[Jonesexplodes]

Whoever says no should lose their job foreal they gave more money to other countries than us.

[vegadon]

funny we have to depend on a government to negotiate how much of our tax payer money to spend here .SMH

[bluedavinci]

we should demand the politicians who vote no to this bill step down from their positions in office these people are a disgrace .

[michaelpeluso]

HEY MCCONNELL NO PASS NOOOO GEORGIA. YOUR SCREWED OLD MAN!!

[wades]

Now the ball is in Mitch McConnell's court, if he doesn't return it, the outcome of Americans not being about to eat falls on him, and him alone.

[Eric-mgjk]

All this over helping american citizens.
That should speak volumes

[PlasmaBurns]

Just stop all income taxes until the CV script has run its course.