Democrats Rally Around Trump’s Last Minute Request For $2,000 Checks—Will It Matter?
Democrats came to the support of President Donald Trump’s 11th hour demand for Congress to include $2000 checks in the stimulus package it passed Monday, though the bid may be futile unless Republicans get on board; complicating matters is the tight window lawmakers are facing to keep the government running and unemployment checks flowing.
For the past several weeks, Trump—focused instead on attempting to overturn the election results—has been mostly relegated to the sidelines of the stimulus negotiations process as lawmakers raced to come to an agreement on a package.
On Tuesday, one day after Congress passed $900 in stimulus spending, including $600 checks for Americans making less than $75,000 in annual income, the president appeared to indicate he would veto the legislation unless lawmakers increased the direct payment amount to $2000 for individuals.
Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), enthusiastically backed the proposal and called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to cave on the president’s demand: “Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent,” Pelosi said on Twitter.
“We spent months trying to secure $2000 checks but Republicans blocked it,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) tweeted.
Trump’s last minute request leaves McConnell, who the president has reportedly turned on in recent days after the Kentucky senator acknowledged President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, in a bind: stand firm on his hope to keep spending down and threaten the party’s prospects in the Georgia runoffs, or capitulate.
McConnell will need to decide soon as lawmakers are facing several deadlines: unemployment benefits for millions of workers runs out on Saturday and the government is set to shutdown on Monday unless Trump signs the spending bill or lawmakers pass another continuing resolution.
CRUCIAL QUOTE
Democrats will need to walk a tightrope to amend the stimulus bill and add $2000 stimulus checks via unanimous consent. Just one Republican in the House or Senate could tank the maneuver. “If the President truly wants to join us in $2,000 payments, he should call upon Leader McCarthy to agree to our Unanimous Consent request,” Pelosi said in a letter to House Democrats on Wednesday.
KEY BACKGROUND
Trump’s remarks on Tuesday caught aides and lawmakers by surprise—his own Treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, told CNBC Monday Americans would begin receiving $600 checks “by the beginning of next week.” It’s still possible the president will bluff and decide not to veto the spending bill. According to Politico, the legislation is set to reach Trump’s desk on Thursday or Friday.
TANGENT
Trump blasted the 2021 budget portion of the bill during his four minute remarks Tuesday, criticizing Congress for the foreign aid included in the legislation as “wasteful.” However, much of the foreign aid lawmakers greenlighted was originally requested by Trump in his budget request to Congress.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
The president has also promised to veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a defense spending bill, when it hits his desk Wednesday unless Congress repeals Section 230, legal protections for online social networking platforms, and removes language that would rename military bases lauding Confederate generals.