Senate Republicans blocked another latest Democratic effort to vote on raising stimulus checks from $ 600 to $ 2,000 on New Year’s Day.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell criticized direct payments of $ 2,000 in a speech on Friday, two days before the end of the 116th Congress on Sunday.
“A big slice would be essentially socialism for the rich,” said the Republican leader, before dismissing checks as a “universal gift of money.”
Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent, contested McConnell’s comments and called the Republican out of concern for “socialism for the rich”, despite supporting huge tax cuts for companies.
“That’s what socialism is for the wealthy,” said Sanders of tax cuts. “Socialism for the rich is not – in the midst of this terrible pandemic – putting a check for $ 2,000 in the hands of working families.”
“I see, if I may say so, a little hypocrisy here,” he added.
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Sanders and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, led the latest voting attempt, which was supported by Republican Senator Josh Hawley and President Donald Trump. “$ 2,000 ASAP!” the president tweeted on Wednesday.
“The Senate can begin this new year by adding hope to sending checks for $ 2,000 to struggling American families,” Schumer said in the Senate floor.
With the current Congress ending on Sunday, any unapproved bill will need to be reintroduced at the 117th Congress.
“I’m going to ask for consent for the last time the Senate will make an appointment to vote on the House bill for $ 2,000 in checks. I did it every day this week, ”added Schumer. “That’s it – the 116th Congress’ last chance to pass checks for $ 2,000 and tell regular Americans that aid is on the way. Let’s vote.”
But Republicans refused to support the increase in direct payments. Some emphasized that “targeted relief” was needed to cope with the worsening pandemic.
Hawley reminded his colleagues in the Republican Party that Trump supported the fattening of checks and urged them to support the measure. “This appears to be the Senate against the United States of America,” he said.
Senate majority leader John Thune blocked the request for a “shotgun” and insisted that: “We should sit down and discover the most efficient, effective and targeted way possible. It absolutely does not work.”
The House approved $ 2,000 stimulus checks for a 275-134 vote Monday night. Two Democrats – Kurt Schrader of Oregon and Daniel Lipinski of Illinois, an outgoing congressman – broke with the party in efforts to triple direct payments under the COVID relief bill passed last week.
Newsweek contacted Sanders and McConnell’s office for comment.