Georgia senator fighting for re-election personally pressured Trump to sign spending bill

Georgia senator fighting for re-election personally pressured Trump to sign spending bill

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Perdue, who is fighting for his political career in a second round in Georgia next week, met Trump on the holiday, according to sources familiar with the discussions. CNN reported on Monday that the president’s signature in comprehensive legislation, which includes direct checks on Americans, came after days of discreet and careful nudging not only from Perdue, but also from minority leader in California Kevin and Kevin McCarthy. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who was seen playing golf with Trump in Florida last week.

Perdue worked to be an invaluable voice in the president’s ear, according to several aides, encouraging Trump to sign the bill, which the senator argued could strengthen the majority of the Republican Party in the Senate and would inevitably be celebrated as a victory for Trump in his last days in office. The source familiar with the call said Perdue and Trump are in regular contact and that Perdue specifically asked Trump to turn the bill into law.

Perdue’s lobbying efforts were first reported by Bloomberg.

Perdue and his Georgia Republican colleague, Senator Kelly Loeffler, both struggling to keep their seats in the January 5 runoff, voted and lobbied for the bill. Perdue had announcements the day after the bill was passed, boasting that he had delivered Covid’s help to the Georgians.

Trump, however, complicated the return of the Republican Party’s victory on the account by revealing a long list of problems he had with the legislation, including his desire for direct payments to increase from $ 600 to $ 2,000.

Trump finally signed the legislation on Sunday night, but said he still wants payments to rise to $ 2,000. Although Perdue and Loeffler praised Trump’s “leadership” in signing the bill, they declined to consider whether they support increased direct payments, something they are likely to have to vote after the House passed a measure on Monday by raising the amount. to $ 2,000.

Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said he plans to try to quickly approve the measure in the House of Representatives led by the Republican Party, requesting a unanimous consent agreement, which can be blocked by any senator who opposes him.

Loeffler said he would be open to increasing payments if there were cuts in the package in other areas. Perdue said nothing, despite several questions asked in his office.

His campaign and official office did not respond to CNN’s request to comment on the phone call with Trump.

The second round in Georgia will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate, making Perdue and Loeffler’s campaigns – both loyal to Trump – two of the most watched in this cycle.

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