Democrats’ ability to deliver on their promise of more relief from COVID-19 under the Biden government is largely linked to their success – or failure – in the second round of the Georgia Senate. The policy around the $ 2,000 stimulus check shows what lies ahead if they lose.
President Donald Trump signed a new stimulus package, after refusing to do so for several days because of his discontent with the content, and on Monday lawmakers will vote on whether to increase the second round of checks from $ 600 to $ 2,000.
Trump forced the $ 2,000 check on the table with his refusal to sign the stimulus bill. His fate, however, like so many other issues, is not in his hands, but in the hands of one legislator in particular: Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
The president said McConnell is in the process of getting a vote in the Senate, although the majority leader has not commented on it. Most Republicans opposed greater stimulus checks and it is not clear that Trump would win a vote.
McConnell’s power highlights the potential trap for Democrats once President-elect Joe Biden takes office. If Republicans in Georgia’s runoff win and the Republican Party retains control of the Senate, McConnell will be there again to thwart Democratic ambitions.
The $ 2,000 check must be approved in the House of Representatives, after being strongly pressured by Democrats who have a majority in the House, their chances in the Senate are less certain.
Although Trump also fought for $ 2,000 checks, McConnell showed that he is happy to break with the president recently. He, along with other Republican senators, could easily block what Trump wants, and many disagree with him on the size of checks.
It would not be the first time that they would press against proposals for stimulus. The Democrats’ HERO Act and a modified version of it passed the House and then failed in the Senate, where McConnell dominates.
Georgia’s runoff, which polls have indicated will be tight, will determine whether McConnell’s majority remains a block for Democrats on the issue of stimulus and beyond.
If Democratic candidates in Georgia – Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock – defeated Republican senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, Democrats would have 48 senators and two independents who met with them, dividing the chamber 50/50.
The tiebreaker votes would then be cast by the vice president, defined as Kamala Harris after the inauguration day on January 20, giving the Democratic bench a minimal majority.
This has its difficulties. Unifying the entire Democratic caucus on the issues will be a challenge, given the different political views and needs.
But at least it would remove McConnell and the Senate Republican Party’s power to block the Biden administration. The president-elect campaigned in Georgia before the second round of elections.
Before Trump signed the latest aid package, Biden said he wanted to sign a significant stimulus bill on his first day in office. However, he spoke of the need for Democratic control of the Senate to do this.
“There are people in Congress threatening to do everything in their power to block our efforts,” he said.
Speaking separately at a campaign event in Georgia earlier this month, Biden said, “Are you ready to vote for two United States senators who can say the word ‘yes’ and not just ‘no’?”
Some Republican Party lawmakers have already indicated that they want the latest aid package to be the last.
Newsweek contacted the Biden transition team and McConnell’s office to comment on the prospect of further stimulus in the future.
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