The fate of President Donald Trump's call to increase pandemic aid checks to $2,000 was in doubt Tuesday as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked Democrats' initial attempt to approve increased payments.
All eyes are on McConnell and whether he will allow a bill increasing the one-time payments from $600 to $2,000. After blocking quick passage of a measure that would increase the payments, the Kentucky Republican introduced a bill Tuesday that includes demands by the president – on contentious issues that Democrats are not likely to support and thus would kill any chances of increasing aid payments.
The bill would increase checks to $2,000 but includes a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which grants certain legal protections for big tech companies, and would establish a commission to study election fraud. The commission would examine many of the concerns Trump has raised since losing the election and would "make recommendations to Congress to improve the security, integrity, and administration of Federal elections," the bill says. The president hasn't provided proof to back his claims, and the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread fraud in last month's election.