Watch McConnell when he opens the Senate floor. The majority leader notably has made no public commitment on how he plans to handle checks for $ 2,000, despite the fact that Trump insisted that he obtained a promise that the process would begin in the United States Senate. Comments from McConnell’s plenary on Tuesday may shed some light on the direction Senate Republicans are taking.
Conclusion: If McConnell announces plans to present the bill for formal voting, it may still take several days for the vote to take place due to procedural obstacles.
Meanwhile, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer will ask for unanimous consent on Tuesday to approve the measure that raises the direct payment to $ 2,000. This is unlikely to pass, as any senator could object (Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin objected to more money for stimulus checks a few days ago).
The dynamics
McConnell knows that adding checks for $ 2,000 to this account would cost hundreds of billions more. In order to pass, McConnell would need 12 Republicans to sign, and it is now unclear whether many exist. Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, said he would support the payments. And Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican, has been a strong supporter of stimulus checks. But a vote on the issue would undoubtedly split the Republican conference and force Georgia Sens. Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue making a difficult vote a few days before their second round. It would also expose members who vote no to the ire of a president who never liked to be upset.
This does not mean that McConnell does not go in that direction. A vote for $ 2,000 checks could also boost Perdue and Loeffler in their disputes if they voted in favor. The layout is popular. And even if the measure was not approved, putting it on the ground would demonstrate to the president that McConnell tried, but the votes just didn’t exist. McConnell, as always, has sought the opinion of its members.
It is also possible, and some Democratic aides to whom CNN has spoken fear that McConnell might tie the $ 2,000 check vote to a less popular clause, making it more difficult for Democrats to vote. Recall that Trump argued that he obtained assurances that the Senate would also repeal Section 230, which protects web companies from liability for what third-party users post on their websites. This would scramble the party lines and make voting for $ 2,000 checks much more difficult for Democrats to swallow.
NDAA
McConnell hoped to present the NDAA nullification vote on Wednesday. But Vermont independent senator Bernie Sanders said he would block the move unless McConnell shows checks for $ 2,000.
Once again, we don’t know what McConnell’s plans are still in check, but if he doesn’t make a promise to bring them up for discussion, Sanders can force McConnell to run out of time until New Year’s Day in the veto override vote. of the NDAA. Sources hope the votes will be there to override the NDAA in the Senate. It’s just a matter of when. A delay could keep Loeffler and Perdue out of the campaign’s way a few days before the second round.