Donald Trump challenged Senate Republicans to approve an increase in stimulus cheques to $2,000 per person, throwing the upper chamber into turmoil as leaders of president’s party scrambled to set the course for his final days in office.
A day after the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives passed legislation raising the direct payments from $600, the US president urged the Republican-controlled Senate to do the same, despite the resistance of many lawmakers in his party to increased spending.
“Give the people $2,000, not $600. They have suffered enough!” Mr Trump wrote in tweet early Tuesday.
But Mitch McConnell, the Republican Senate majority leader, offered mixed signals on whether he would concede to Mr Trump’s request for a vote on the proposal as he brought the upper chamber back into session after the holiday.
Mr McConnell on Tuesday blocked an attempt by Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, to pass the increase in direct payments unanimously. The Kentucky Republican said the $900bn stimulus signed by Mr Trump on Sunday, which included $600 direct payments, “was our shot at getting help to working families on the urgent timeline that they need”.
But Mr McConnell also said the Senate would focus on “further direct financial support” as one of Mr Trump’s final priorities in office, leaving the door open to embracing the larger cheques.
The higher direct payments would increase the cost of the stimulus bill by $464bn, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation, and could support income and consumption as the US grapples with more coronavirus cases.
On Tuesday morning, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, two Georgia Republican senators facing difficult run-off races next week that could determine control of the upper chamber, backed Mr Trump’s push for $2,000 payments, squeezing Mr McConnell further on the issue.
Mr Perdue said in a tweet: “@realdonaldtrump is right — I support this push for $2,000 in direct relief for the American people.”
When asked if she supported the $2,000 payments, Ms Loeffler told Fox News: “I’ve stood by the president 100 per cent of the time. I’m proud to do that. And I’ve said absolutely, we need to get relief to Americans now and I will support that.”
Democrats, who strongly support bigger stimulus cheques, have urged Mr Trump to be more forceful with his party.
“If he actually does his job now and convinces Republicans to vote for larger direct payments, then bigger cheques could start going out next week,” Jack Reed, a Democratic senator from Rhode Island, said on Monday, adding: “It’s not enough for President Trump to just sit in his Mar-a-Lago estate and send a few tweets.”
As he turned up the heat on Mr McConnell over stimulus, Mr Trump also attacked Republican leadership in the upper chamber of Congress for their intention to override his veto of a $740bn defence spending bill. The House voted to override his veto on Monday, and a vote in the Senate along the same lines could happen in the coming days.
Mr Trump objected to the defence bill in an attempt to persuade Congress to repeal legislation granting technology companies immunity from liability for online content, and because of provisions restricting his ability to reduce US troop levels in Europe and Asia. He also criticised a measure requiring the Pentagon to rename military bases named after confederate generals.
“Weak and tired Republican “leadership” will allow the bad Defense Bill to pass,” Mr Trump said, adding: “Negotiate a better Bill, or get better leaders, NOW! Senate should not approve NDAA [National Defence Authorization Act] until fixed!!!”
Mr McConnell on Tuesday vowed to plough ahead with his plans to override the president’s veto of the defence bill.
“For the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces, failure is not an option. So when it is our turn in Congress to have their backs, failure is not an option here either,” he said.
But Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator, has signalled his intention to block a vote on overriding the defence bill veto until Mr McConnell agrees to hold a vote on the stimulus cheques, further complicating the picture for the Senate majority leader.
