All eyes are on Georgia GOP Sens. David Perdue
David PerdueTrump leaves Washington in limbo with threat of relief The governor of Georgia ignores Trump’s calls for him to make Georgia’s first Senate Candidates, Ossoff, Warnock back at Trump’s request for K checks MORE and Kelly Loeffler
Kelly Loeffler Trump leaves Washington in limbo with the threat of relief. Loeffler said he would consider supporting $ 1,000 checks The governor of Georgia dismisses Trump’s calls for him to give primary MORE after President Trump
Donald TrumpMcCarthy offers UC request to revisit foreign spending on Senator GOP omnibus over Trump forgives: “This is rotten to the end” Trump forgives Manafort, Stone and Charles Kushner in the last round MORE criticized Congress about the latest coronavirus relief bill, an impressive move that takes place two weeks before the second round of the state Senate.
Trump released a video Tuesday night against the House and Senate-approved COVID-19 aid package, asking lawmakers to increase the amount of stimulus checks sent to Americans from $ 600 to $ 2,000. Although Trump did not directly threaten to veto the package on Tuesday, if he does not sign it by Monday at midnight, the government will close and several important unemployment benefits will expire.
Now the pressure is on Loeffler and Perdue to support Trump after the two candidates praised their support for humanitarian aid and accused Democrats of obstructing a deal.
His Democratic opponents were quick to endorse Trump’s call for more help. Perdue’s rival, Jon Ossoff, on Tuesday night called the $ 600 stimulus checks a “joke”.
“I urged the United States Congress to approve additional direct stimulus payments of $ 2,000 to each American now,” said Ossoff.
Meanwhile, Loeffler’s opponent, Rev. Raphael Warnock, took the opportunity to target the Republican candidate.
“Billionaire Kelly Loeffler thinks that $ 600 will cover her rent, purchases and hospital bills,” he tweeted on Tuesday night.
The next day, Warnock went even further. “Donald Trump is right, Congress should quickly increase direct payments to $ 2,000,” he said in a statement. “Once and for all, Senator Loeffler must do what is best for Georgia, instead of focusing on what she can do for herself.”
Loeffler said on Wednesday that he would consider supporting Trump’s move to increase stimulus checks.
“I certainly support the redirection of any unnecessary expenses to be directed to families and businesses that have been affected by this virus through no fault of their own,” Loeffler told reporters.
“I’m certainly going to take a look at supporting it if it redirects unnecessary spending towards it, yes,” she added, when asked if she would support direct payments of $ 2,000.
Perdue has not yet publicly responded to Trump’s calls for more stimulus aid. His office did not respond to a request for comment from The Hill.
The latest development came shortly after Republican senators postponed their campaign events on Monday with President Ivanka’s daughter rushing back to Washington to vote for the $ 2.3 trillion package, which includes $ 900 billions in coronavirus relief and $ 1.4 trillion to finance the government through October.
Ossoff and Warnock had already reached their Republican rivals on the issue of direct payments during stimulus negotiations. CNN reported last week that a source heard the Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump vetoes defense bill, setting up potential CNN Smerconish nullification praises Trump for $ 1,000 relief checks: “The most effective thing he’s done” post-election Republicans waiting to see what Trump does in the package relief MORE (RK.Y.) watching the attacks on Loeffler and Perdue.
“Kelly and David are being martyred,” McConnell said in a conference call with Republican senators.
Polls show a fierce dispute taking place in the state of Peach, giving candidates no margin for error. Real Clear Politics’s poll average shows Perdue ahead of Ossoff by one point, while Loeffler leads by 0.8 percentage points.
Trump’s move puts Loeffler and Perdue in a difficult position. Senators competed based on their close ties to Trump, suggesting that it would be in their political interest to side with him. But calls for higher direct payments have met with opposition from members of their own party in the past.
Republican strategists say the president’s influence within the Republican Party will make it difficult for anyone in the party to go against him.
“They can’t upset the president on that,” said Republican strategist Doug Heye, referring to Loeffler and Perdue. “That’s where they will fall, where Republicans will always fall because they are afraid of not falling.”
“If you agree with Donald Trump it means different things at noon and at 6pm, well, that’s just reality,” he added.
Chuck Clay, a former Republican Party president and current Hall Booth Smith lawyer, said the Trump decision gives Loeffler and Perdue space to support a revamped relief bill and increased stimulus checks.
“As a political movement, it is an excellent time,” said Chuck Clay, a former Republican Party president and current attorney for Hall Booth Smith. “Trump outperformed everyone.”
“It would be a very popular change for working families,” he continued. “This is real money. This is the kind of influx in the economy, if they were able to do that, it would really be seen. “