House Passes Measure Increasing Stimulus Checks to $2,000, Sends Bill to Senate

House Members Meet To Consider Increasing Covid-19 Stimulus Payments After President Trump Signs Relief Bill

(Photo : Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 28: Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) heads back to her office after she opened up the House floor on December 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump signed a COVID relief bill and government funding bill into law Sunday night, averting a government shutdown.

To increase stimulus checks for Americans under a specific income level to $2,000, the House of Representatives passed a measure on Monday as President Donald Trump championed the effort.

Even though the bill's future is less certain after being passed in the Senate, several representatives are still optimistic about its outcome.

The bill's passing from the legislation with a 275-134 vote came a day after President Trump signed a sweeping COVID-19 relief bill into law on Sunday evening.

The said measure was negotiated on a bipartisan basis, as it will provide $600 in direct payments. But after the deal was brokered and passed out of Congress, Trump complained about the amount, saying it was too low and called for $2,000 checks instead, prompting the House Democrats in pushing for an increase.

According to CNN, Democrats have seized on the 11th-hour complaint of Trump regarding the direct payments in a bid to push congressional Republicans to accept a higher amount.

It forced GOP lawmakers to decide whether or not to defy President Trump after a number of them have argued that the overall cost for a stimulus package should not rise too high.

While the Senate will consider the measure as uncertain, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, announced on Monday that he has plans to try and quickly pass the measure in the GOP-led chamber by requesting a unanimous agreement, which can be blocked by any senator who opposes it.

In his statement, Schumer mentioned that following the strong bipartisan vote in the House, he would move to pass a day after the legislation in the Senate to deliver the $2,000 emergency checks to the Americans quickly.

He also added that every Senate Democrat is for this much-needed increase in the emergency relief bill that can be approved tomorrow if there will be no republican that will block it.

Schumer also emphasized that there is no reason for the Republicans in the Senate to stand in the way, CNBC reported.

Vermont independent, Senator Bernie Sanders, has threatened that he will delay a crucial vote that will override the veto of Trump on a defense funding bill unless the Senate holds a vote on $2,000 checks.

Sanders tweeted that this week on the Senate floor, Mitch McConnell wants to vote to override Trump's veto of the $740 billion defense funding bill and then head home for the New Year.

In his tweet, he also mentioned that he would be objecting until they will get a vote on legislation to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class, the USA Today reported.

The House Republicans blocked the effort of the Democrats in advancing the $2,000 checks last week. However, the House tried again on Monday with a floor vote that requires a two-thirds majority for it to be passed since it took place under a suspension of the rules, as it needs a wide margin of bipartisan support to be approved.