{"id":4080,"date":"2020-12-28T23:58:04","date_gmt":"2020-12-28T23:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiofree.org\/?p=144171"},"modified":"2020-12-28T23:58:04","modified_gmt":"2020-12-28T23:58:04","slug":"now-its-the-senates-turn-all-eyes-on-mcconnell-after-house-approves-2000-coronavirus-relief-checks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/radiofree.asia\/2020\/12\/28\/now-its-the-senates-turn-all-eyes-on-mcconnell-after-house-approves-2000-coronavirus-relief-checks\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Now It’s the Senate’s Turn’: All Eyes on McConnell After House Approves $2,000 Coronavirus Relief Checks"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Published on <\/p>\n

Monday, December 28, 2020<\/span><\/p>\n

by<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Progressives in both chambers of Congress are pressuring the GOP majority leader to urgently hold a vote on the Covid-19 legislation.<\/p>\n

\"Senate<\/p>\n

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) talks to reporters in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on September 30, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Demands from progressive lawmakers and the public surged for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to urgently support and hold a vote on a bill that would boost coronavirus pandemic direct relief checks from $600 to $2,000 after at least two-thirds of Democrat-controlled House approved the legislation on Monday evening.<\/p>\n

The measure passed the House by a bipartisan 275-134 vote<\/a> but faces an uncertain future in the GOP-majority Senate, considering that McConnell (R-Ky.) refused to hold votes on previous House-approved Covid-19 bills for several months this year. The new bill to raise the direct payment amount comes after President Donald Trump belatedly signed <\/a>a $900 billion relief package into law late Sunday, after criticizing<\/a> the legislation and demanding $2,000 direct payments last week.<\/p>\n

“The House passed a $2,000 direct payment for working people. Now it’s the Senate’s turn… Let’s do our job.”
\u2014Sen. Bernie Sanders<\/p>\n

In a statement Monday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said that “following the strong bipartisan vote in the House, tomorrow I will move to pass the legislation in the Senate to quickly deliver Americans with $2,000 emergency checks.”<\/p>\n

“Every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in emergency financial relief, which can be approved tomorrow if no Republican blocks it\u2014there is no good reason for Senate Republicans to stand in the way,” Schumer noted.<\/p>\n

“There’s strong support for these $2,000 emergency checks from every corner of the country,” he added. “Leader McConnell ought to make sure Senate Republicans do not stand in the way of helping to meet the needs of American workers and families who are crying out for help.”<\/p>\n

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The House just voted overwhelmingly to increase checks to $2000. If McConnell blocks it, it will be a monumental betrayal of the American people.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Public Citizen (@Public_Citizen) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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NEWS: The House just overcame GOP opposition & passed the bill for $2,000 checks. Now it moves to McConnell, who represents one of America’s poorest states that would be disproportionately helped by the legislation, and who may nonetheless kill the bill. https:\/\/t.co\/cymwhYbPUo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David Sirota (@davidsirota) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Trump, in a statement announcing he would sign the $2.3 trillion package that includes $1.4 trillion to fund the government and $900 billion in Covid-19 relief, said that “the Senate will start the process for a vote that increases checks to $2,000, repeals Section 230, and starts an investigation into voter fraud.”<\/p>\n

The Hill<\/em> reported<\/a> that a Monday night statement from McConnell “made no mention of the legislative commitments referenced by Trump, and the GOP leader has not yet announced plans to bring up a proposal that would increase the amount of the direct payments.”<\/p>\n

Late Sunday, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)\u2014who has been pushing for<\/a> $2,000 relief checks since March\u2014said<\/a> that “Trump must get Mitch McConnell and his Republican friends in the Senate to pass legislation to provide $2,000 in direct payments to the working class.”<\/p>\n

After the vote Monday, Sanders tweeted<\/a>: “The House passed a $2,000 direct payment for working people. Now it’s the Senate’s turn. If McConnell doesn’t agree to an up or down vote to provide the working people of our country a $2,000 direct payment, Congress will not be going home for New Year’s Eve. Let’s do our job.”<\/p>\n

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At noon tomorrow, McConnell is expected to ask for Unanimous Consent to vote on the veto override of the $740 billion defense bill. Bernie will object until we get a vote on $2,000 direct payments. We can force the Senate to stay in session until the New Year. This is no bluff. https:\/\/t.co\/DgRB6hJgW8<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Warren Gunnels (@GunnelsWarren) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Democrats in both chambers also took to Twitter, pushing Trump to increase pressure on the Senate GOP and calling on McConnell to back the bill and hold a vote:<\/p>\n

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With that much House Republican support, there is only one path for McConnell – bring this bill up for a clean vote.<\/p>\n

If he does anything else – like introduce his own $2000 bill with lots of added poison pills – then it\u2019s just a stunt to stop the measure from becoming law. https:\/\/t.co\/78aG1IUJRo<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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You know what Trump would do tonight if he really wanted the checks to be $2,000? Publicly support the bill and start calling Republican Senators to support it. https:\/\/t.co\/O5LFcDBJV3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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Final stretch, Mitch you got this! https:\/\/t.co\/Lbj4XNGwPV<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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For months, we’ve organized for robust stimulus payments. <\/p>\n

Today, the House passed a bill to increase survival checks to $2,000\u2014an important first step to getting the people the help they need and deserve. <\/p>\n

Now, we must continue the fight to secure recurring monthly checks. https:\/\/t.co\/H6SYbwpD4a<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) December 28, 2020<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) emphasized<\/a> that the House passage was a progressive victory, pointing out that “a few weeks ago, survival checks weren’t even on the table.”<\/p>\n

“Then, progressive members came together and told leadership we would not vote for a bill that didn’t include survival checks. Period,” she added. “Today, we successfully voted to pass $2,000 survival checks in the House.”<\/p>\n

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This post was originally published on Radio Free<\/a>. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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