Roommates, as if things weren’t complicated enough, there is a new development surrounding the second round of stimulus payments—and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell just made a decision angering many. Mitch McConnell just formally rejected the proposed increase of stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000, drawing out the process and adding more uncertainty.
Following Senator Chuck Schumer’s attempt to force an immediate vote on increasing the size of the stimulus checks to $2,000, Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, officially blocked the measure. McConnell said that the Senate would “begin a process” to consider bigger payments, along with other demands issued by President Trump, leaving the fate of the measure unclear as more Republicans rushed to endorse it.
McConnell’s decision to block a vote on increasing the stimulus payments came as a growing number of Republican senators voiced support for the larger checks, and as pressure mounted on the Senate to vote on the measure.
Additionally, Mitch McConnell didn’t explain how or when the Senate would move to consider Trump’s demands, which Trump made on earlier this week after finally agreeing to sign a $900 billion stimulus package and government spending bill into law. Trump also held the package hostage for days, insisting that lawmakers increase the direct payments to $2,000 from $600, remove a legal shield for companies like YouTube and Facebook and investigate “very substantial voter fraud.”
Senator Schumer spoke about the decision, saying “Senate Democrats strongly support $2,000 checks. Even President Trump supports $2,000 checks,” Mr. Schumer said. “There’s one question left today: Do Senate Republicans join with the rest of America in supporting $2,000 checks?”
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