Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell again blocked quick action on $ 2,000 coronavirus stimulus checks in the Senate floor on Thursday, while exchanging harsh words with minority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y.
McConnell, R-Ky., In plenary comments criticized the House approved $ 2,000 stimulus checks bill as “socialism for the rich”. The comments have been the most direct so far about his opposition to President Trump’s request that stimulus checks be increased by $ 600 in the recently approved stimulus.
“The data shows that many upper-middle-class Americans have kept their jobs, work remotely and remain totally comfortable financially,” said McConnell. “On the other hand, some of our fellow citizens have seen their whole existence turned upside down and continue to suffer terribly. We don’t need to let the mayor do socialism for the rich to help those in need. “
The majority leader earlier this week introduced his own bill for $ 2,000 stimulus checks, linking them to other Trump priorities: revoking the controversial Section 230 liability protection for online platforms and investigating electoral security. He made no promises that the bill would be considered, only vague comments that the Senate would “start a process to put these three priorities in focus”.
Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. Walks to the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, December 30, 2020. (AP Photo / Susan Walsh)
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McConnell also emphasized on Wednesday that just this week the president signed a $ 900 billion stimulus package that included “targeted” stimulus efforts.
“The liberal New York Times reported this morning that most families that receive undirected checks end up spending them on urgent needs,” said McConnell, before detailing the provisions of the recent stimulus bill. “There are billions for targeted food assistance, billions for targeted rental assistance and many billions of dollars in vaccine distribution so that we can finally beat this virus and reopen the economy completely. These are the types of targeted emergency programs that directly help more vulnerable. And we just poured almost another trillion dollars into them less than five days ago. “
Schumer, DN.Y., replied that McConnell is just trying to delay to prevent the checks from being passed. He said that the majority leader’s insistence that the Senate only consider checks in conjunction with Section 230 and electoral security would make it impossible for anything to become law.
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“Let me make this offer to the Republican majority. We are willing to vote on the other issues that President Trump mentioned. All the issues that the Republican leader says should be addressed, as long as we vote on them separately,” said Schumer. “If leader McConnell wants to vote on these issues, we are here for that. Just give us a vote on the House approved bill and we can vote on any right-wing conspiracy theory you want.”
Schumer then asked the Senate to vote quickly on the House bill on $ 2,000 stimulus checks. McConnell objected.
Soon after Schumer spoke, Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Also decided to quickly vote on the House bill for stimulus checks. McConnell was also opposed to this.
Sanders said McConnell’s decision to link checks for $ 2,000 to the repeal of Section 230 and an electoral fraud commission is a “poison pill designed to eliminate that legislation.”
McConnell’s resistance to $ 2,000 checks comes despite Trump’s check requests, since shortly after Congress sent him the previous $ 600 check stimulus bill. Trump has become increasingly frustrated with his colleagues Republicans in recent weeks and directed a significant part of that to McConnell.
“Unless Republicans have a desire to die, and that is also the right thing to do, they must approve payments of $ 2,000 as soon as possible. $ 600 IS NOT ENOUGH!” Trump tweeted earlier this week. “Also, get rid of Section 230 – Don’t let Big Tech steal our country and don’t let Democrats steal the presidential election. Be tough!”
He later added: “$ 2000ASAP!”
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The uproar over stimulus checks came on what was scheduled to be a relatively quiet Thursday in the upper house, as it prioritized overturning President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act.
The Senate had no vote scheduled for Thursday. McConnell filed a “coagulation petition” on the nullification of the NDAA veto on Wednesday, which cannot be voted on until two days after it is filed. The Senate is currently scheduled to take its vote on cloning – that is, a procedural vote to end the debate – in the NDAA on Friday, which would mark a final vote on Saturday.
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Between the Senate’s need to pass the NDAA before the current Congress ends at noon on Sunday and McConnell’s delaying tactics, it is now highly unlikely that the Senate will ever vote on $ 2,000 stimulus checks, let alone approve them.
Chad Pergram of Fox News contributed to this report.