Rep. Andy Kim, a Democrat from New Jersey, said it “should be scary” that lawmakers currently don’t know what will happen to Congress’s $ 900 billion bipartisan stimulus package COVID-19 this week.
After the White House reportedly told Republican congressmen to support the stimulus package, President Donald Trump released a video message on Tuesday night describing the project as a “disgrace”. The president asked Congress to increase stimulus checks from $ 600 for most Americans included in the legislation to $ 2,000. He also questioned other government spending included in the general financing package approved in conjunction with the stimulus bill.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen next. And it must be scary for the American people now,” Kim told CNN on Thursday, “that we have a president who is upset here and playing politics with our lives.”
The MP pointed out that millions of Americans are currently struggling to get adequate food. Millions of Americans continue to file weekly unemployment insurance claims, while millions are on the verge of eviction. Although Democrats said the legislation did not go far enough to resolve the crisis, they hoped it would help Americans survive in the coming months until they could potentially approve more stimulus under President-elect Joe Biden.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen … and that must be scary,” said Deputy Andy Kim in the relief account.
“We have a president who is confused here and playing politics with our lives …[Trump] is holding on to much needed help … during some of the darkest days in American history. ” pic.twitter.com/WCeGL1IAf4
– CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) December 24, 2020
“This president is holding on to much needed help for them during some of the darkest days in American history,” warned Kim.
Democratic lawmakers quickly supported Trump’s request to increase payments from $ 600 to $ 2,000 on Tuesday. Progressives pointed out that they urged Congress to send checks for $ 2,000 many months ago, but the proposal was rejected by most Republicans. Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly expressed support for checks for $ 2,000, she also urged the president to sign the current legislation.
“COVID’s bipartisan relief and transportation bill has been signed up. The House and Senate are now sending this important legislation #For the people to the White House for the signature of the president. We urge you to sign this bill to give relief to family workers immediately! ” Pelosi tweeted on Thursday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, House Democrats tried to pass an amendment through a unanimous consent vote that would raise the $ 600 to $ 2,000, but that move was blocked by House Republicans. Several Republican Party lawmakers were totally opposed to direct payments, with some, like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, referring to the idea as “socialist”.
Pelosi said on Thursday that he plans to bring the amendment to the floor for a roll-call vote on Monday. But even if this succeeds in the House, it is not clear whether the Republican-controlled Senate would consider modifying the legislation to increase the value of stimulus checks. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell previously tried to approve a smaller $ 500 billion package without any direct payments.
SAMUEL CORUM / AFP / Getty
Many Republicans were more supportive of the president’s concerns about financing for foreign countries and other spending included in the general package to maintain the government next year. However, these measures were largely based on requests for budget items from the Trump administration itself. It is not clear whether Trump did not understand the scope of the project or just complained about spending on political stance.
What will happen next remains uncertain. It is unclear whether Trump will sign or veto the package, but his remarks on Tuesday suggested he was unwilling to support the project.
Newsweek he reached out to White House press representatives, Pelosi and McConnell for comment, but they did not respond immediately.