Predictably, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was quick to block an attempt to increase the upcoming stimulus payment from $600 to $2,000 on Tuesday.
CNN reports that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to unanimously approve the House-passed bill that increases the payout approved in the long awaited covid-19 relief bill. But it takes only one naysayer to make such a plan fall apart, and that naysayer was McConnell.
Schumer is, understandably, pissed.
McConnell, like many other Senate Republicans, is wary about increasing the price tag of the stimulus bill. However, they appear to reside happily on a heavenly realm where people aren’t struggling, where hunger isn’t on the rise, and where Americans aren’t racking up debt and struggling to pay rent. Must be nice! But it’s not reality.
Even President Trump, an idiot, is aware that this is a bad look for Republicans. “Unless Republicans have a death wish, and it is also the right thing to do, they must approve the $2000 payments ASAP,” Trump tweeted Tuesday, following McConnell’s block. “$600 IS NOT ENOUGH!”
Of course, it’s clear from the tweet above that Trump can’t make a sound point without making a massively inane one… but he’s right about the cash.
So what now? Well, if the Senate comes together to do a full vote on the matter, at least 12 Republicans will need to join every Democrat to pass the 60-vote threshold needed to move forward. And speaking of Republicans joining Democrats…
Guess which Republican Senators are super in favor of this $2,000 stimmy. Yup, it’s… Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, whose political futures are up in the air thanks to the upcoming runoff races in their state of Georgia. What a coincidence!
During a Fox News appearance Tuesday morning, Loeffler said she’s all for $2,000 stimulus checks. Why? Because Trump likes it, and she’ll pretend she gives a shit as long as Trump does.
“Look, the president has fought for our country from day one,” Loeffler said. “He continues to fight for every single American, I’ve stood by the president 100 percent of the time, I’m proud to do that. And I’ve said, absolutely, we need to get relief to Americans now.” She promptly moved on to her grievances toward Democrats during this process.
Perdue, on the other hand, made his support known by piggybacking off of a Trump tweet.
Most of their Republican colleagues, however, are keeping their mouths shut. Most of them don’t have to worry about re-election for a while, so they can oppose the very reasonable task of putting $2,000 into millions of American pockets without giving much of a shit. Memories are short.
- Vice President-elect Kamala Harris got her covid-19 vax:
- Prominent Massachusetts Republican, Tom Mountain, suspects he contracted covid-19 at a White House Hannukah party. He’s not thrilled! [Washington Post]
- A new Gallup poll shows that President Trump and Michelle Obama are the most admired man and woman in the nation. Trump finally ended President Obama’s 12 long years at the top spot. I’m sure he’s thrilled. [Gallup]